THE  CHURCH  ON  THE 
CHANGING  FRONTIER 


HELEN  0.  BELKNAP 


i     I 


11 


i  liii 


!;-|iiihl{i!!!!i:ii!ii;l!!ii;iiJ!|l 


;-:  nil 


i!  ■'■    ■  r  ;iiil 


iili  I  il 

ili'mifi  ilH!;' 


fPIII'i'Ull 


^m^ 


ttiilitli  I  lilljjppiliilli; 


ill 


BR    545    .B4 

rhi^^t^'    "^^^"  Olive. 


THE  CHURCH  ON 
THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


BIG   HOLE  KIVLR,    MONTANA 


COMMITTEE  ON  SOCIAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  SURVEYS 

TOWN    AND    COUNTRY    DEPARTMENT 

Edmund  deS.   Brunner,   Director 


THE  CHURCH  ON 
THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

A  STUDY  OF 
THE  HOMESTEADER  AND  HIS  CHURCH 


BY 

HELEN  O.  BELKNAP 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS 
MAPS    AND    CHARTS 


NEW  xSr   YORK 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,    1922, 
BY    GEORGE     H.     UORAN     COMPANY 


PRIN  ri:D   IN   THE   UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


PREFACE 

THE  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys  was  organ- 
ized in  January,  1921.  Its  aim  is  to  combine  the  scientific 
method  with  the  religious  motive.  The  Committee  conducts 
and  publishes  studies  and  surveys,  and  promotes  conferences  for 
their  consideration.  It  cooperates  with  other  social  and  religious 
agencies,  but  is  itself  an  independent  organization. 

The  Committee  is  composed  of :  John  R.  Mott,  Chairman ; 
Ernest  D.  Burton,  Secretary;  Raymond  B.  Fosdick,  Treasurer; 
James  L.  Barton  and  W.  H.  P.  Faunce.  Galen  M.  Fisher  is 
Associate  Executive  Secretary.  The  offices  are  at  111  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York   City. 

In  the  field  of  town  and  country  the  Committee  sought  first 
of  all  to  conserve  some  of  the  results  of  the  surveys  made  bv  the 
Interchurch  World  Movement.  In  order  to  verify  some  of  these 
surveys,  it  carried  on  field  studies,  described  later,  along  regional 
lines  worked  out  by  Dr.  \\'arren  H.  \\^ilson  *  and  adopted  by  the 
Interchurch  World  Movement.     These  regions  are : 

I.  Colonial  States :  All  of  New  England,  New  York,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  Jersey. 

II.  The  South :  All  the  States  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line 
and  the  Ohio  River  east  of  the  Mississippi,   including  Louisiana. 

III.  The  Southern  Highlands  Section :  This  section  comprises 
about  250  counties  in  "The  back  yards  of  eight  Southern  States." 

IV.  The  Middle  West :  The  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan, 
Illinois,  Wisconsin,   Iowa  and  northern  Missouri. 

V.  Northwest :  Minnesota,  North  Dakota,  South  Dakota  and 
eastern  Montana. 

VI.  Prairie :  Oklahoma,  Kansas  and  Nebraska. 

VII.  Southwest :   Southern  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Texas. 

VIII.  Range  or  Mountain :  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Colo- 
rado, Idaho,  Wyoming,  Nevada  and  western  Montana. 

The  Director  of  the  Town  and  Country  Survey  Department  for 
the  Interchurch  W^orld  Movement  was  Edmund  deS.  Brunner.  He 
is  likewise  the  Director  of  this  Department  for  the  Committee  on 
Social  and  Religious  Survevs. 

*  See  Wilson,   "Sectional   Characteristics,"  Homelands,  August,    1920. 

vii 


PREFACE 

The  oriiijiiial  surveys  were  conducted  under  the  supervision  of 
the  following : 

Beaverhead  County — Rev.  Charles  T.  Greenway,  State  Survey 
Supervisor  of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  for  Montana.  'Jlie 
County  Leader  was  Rev.  Thomas  W.  Bennett. 

Hughes  County — Mr.  C.  O.  Bemies,  State  Survey  Supervisor 
of  the  Interchurch  W'orld  Movement  for  South  Dakota.  The 
County   Survey   Leader  was   Rev.  H.   H.   Gunderson. 

Sheridan  County — Mr.  A.  G.  Alderman,  State  Survey  Super- 
visor of  the  Interchurch  A\'orld  Movement  for  Wyoming  and  Utah. 
The  County  Survey  Leader  was  Rev.  M.  DeWitt  Long,  D.D. 

Union  County — Rev.  H.  R.  Mills,  State  Survey  Supervisor  of 
the  Interchurch  World  Movement  for  New  Mexico.  The  County 
Survey  Leader  was  Professor  A.  L.  England. 

In  the  spring  of  1921  the  field  worker,  Miss  Helen  Belknap, 
of  the  Committee  on  Social  and  Religious  Surveys,  visited  these 
counties,  verified  the  results  of  the  survey  work  previously  done, 
and  secured  additional  information  not  included  in  the  original  study. 

Special  acknowledgment  should  be  made  to  the  ministers,  county 
officers  and  others  in  these  counties  for  their  helpful  cooperation 
and  assistance  in  the  successful  completion  of  the  survey. 

The  statistical  and  graphical  editor  of  this  volume  was  Mr.  A.  H. 
Richardson  of  the  Chief  Statistician's  Division  of  the  American 
Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company,  formerly  connected  with  the 
Russell  Sage  Foundation. 

The  technical  advisor  was  Mr.  H.  N.  Morse  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Home  Missions,  who  was  also  associate  director  of  the 
Town  and  Country  Survey  in  the  Interchurch  \\'orld  Movement. 

X'^aluable  help  was  given  by  the  Home  Missions  Council;  by 
the  Council  of  Women  for  Home  Missions  through  their  sub-Com- 
mittee on  Town  and  Country,  and  by  a  Committee  appointed  jointly 
by  the  Home  Missions  Council  and  the  Federal  Council  of  Churches 
for  the  purpose  of  cooperating  with  the  Committee  on  Social  and 
Religious  Surveys  in  endeavoring  to  translate  the  results  of  the 
survey  into  action.  The  members  of  this  Joint  Committee  on  Util- 
izing Surveys  are : 

h'cprcsciiliiuj   the   Federal   CoiDieil  of    Cliiirelies 

Anna    Clark  C.  X.  Lathrop 

Roy  15.  fniild  U.  L.  Mackey 

A.  E.   Holt  A.  E.  Roberts 

F.  lu-nest  Johnson  l-'rcd   B.   Smith 
Charles   E.   SchaefTer 


PREFACE 

Representing  tJic  Home  Missions  Council  and  the  Council  of 
■   IVomen  for  Home  Missions 

L.  C.  Barnes,  Chairman 

Rodney   W.  Roundy,   Secretary 

Alfred  W.  Anthony  Rolvix  Harlan 

Mrs.  Fred  S.  Bennett  R.  A.  Hutchison 

C.  A.  Brooks  Florence  E.  Ouinlan 

C.  E.  Burton  W.  P.   Shriver 

A.  E.  Cory  Paul  L.  Vogt 

David  D.  Forsyth  Warren  H.  Wilson 


INTRODUCTION 


THE    POINT    OF   VIEW 


THIS  book  is  a  study  of  the  work  of  Protestant  city,  town 
and  country  churches  in  four  counties  on  the  Range.  It 
discusses  the  effect  on  the  Church  of  the  changing  conditions 
in  the  Rocky  Mountain  States,  and  the  task  of  the  Church  in 
ministering  to  the  situation  which  exists  to-day.  This  survey, 
therefore,  does  not  attempt  to  deal  directly  with  the  spiritual  effect 
of  any  church  upon  the  life  of  individuals  or  groups.  Such  results 
are  not  measurable  by  the  foot  rule  of  statistics  or  by  survey 
methods.  It  is  possible,  however,  to  weigh  the  concrete  accom- 
plishments of  churches.  These  actual  achievements  are  their  fruits 
and  "by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

The  four  counties  studied  in  this  book  are  Beaverhead  in  Mon- 
tana, Sheridan  in  Wyoming,  Union  in  New  Mexico  and  Hughes 
in  South  Dakota.  Many  considerations  entered  into  their  choice. 
For  one  thing,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  book,  while  com- 
plete in  itself,  is  also  part  of  a  larger  whole.  From  among  the  one 
thousand  county  surveys  completed  or  nearly  completed  by  the 
Interchurch  World  Movement,  twenty-six  of  those  made  in  the 
nine  most  representative  rural  regions  of  America  were  selected  for 
intensive  study.  In  this  way  it  was  hoped  to  obtain  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  religious  situation  as  it  exists  in  the  more  rural  areas 
of  the  United  States.  All  the  counties  selected  were  chosen  with 
the  idea  that  they  were  fair  specimens  of  what  was  to  be  found 
throughout  the  area  of  which  they  are  a  part. 

In  selecting  the  counties  an  effort  was  made  to  discover  those 
which  were  typical,  not  merely  from  a  statistical  viewpoint,  but 
also  from  the  social  and  religious  problems  they  represented.  For 
example,  the  four  counties  described  in  this  pamphlet  were  chosen 
because  they  are  representative  of  large  sections  throughout  the 
Range  area. 

It  is  recognized  that  there  are  reasons  why  exception  may  be 
taken  to  the  choice  of  counties.  No  area  is  completely  typical 
of  every  situation.  A  careful  study  of  these  counties,  however,  leads 

xi 


INTRODUCTION 

to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  fair  specimens  of  the  region  they 
are  intended  to  represent. 

All  these  studies  have  been  made  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
Church,  recognizing,  however,  that  social  and  economic  conditions 
afYect  its  life.  For  instance,  it  is  evident  that  various  racial  groups 
influence  church  life  differently.  Germans  and  Swedes  usually 
favor  liturgical  denominations ;  the  Scotch  incline  to  the  non-liturgi- 
cal. Again,  if  there  is  economic  pressure  and  heavy  debt,  the  Church 
faces  spiritual  handicaps,  and  needs  a  peculiar  type  of  ministry. 
Because  of  the  importance  of  social  and  economic  factors  in  the 
life  of  the  Church  the  opening  chapters  of  this  book  are  occupied 
with  a  description  of  these  factors.  At  first  glance  some  of  these 
facts  may  appear  irrelevant,  but  upon  closer  observation  they  will 
be  found  to  have  a  bearing  upon  the  main  theme — the  problem 
of  the  Church. 

Naturally  the  greatest  amount  of  time  and  study  has  been  de- 
voted to  the  churches  themselves ;  their  history,  equipment  and 
finances ;  their  members,  services  and  church  organizations ;  their 
Sunday  schools,  young  people's  societies  and  community  programs, 
have  all  been  carefully  investigated  and  evaluated. 

Intensive  investigation  has  been  limited  to  the  distinctly  rural 
areas  and  to  those  centers  of  population  which  have  less  than  five 
thousand  inhabitants.  In  the  case  of  towns  larger  than  this 
an  effort  has  been  made  to  measure  the  service  of  such  towns  to 
the  surrounding  countryside,  but  not  to  study  each  church  and 
community  in  detail. 

The  material  in  this  book  presents  a  composite  picture  of  the 
religious  conditions  within  these  four  counties.  Certain  major 
problems,  which  were  found  with  more  or  less  frequency  in  all 
four  counties,  are  discussed,  and  all  available  information  from 
any  of  the  counties  has  been  utilized.  The  opening  pages  of  the 
book,  however,  summarize  the  conditions  within  each  county.  While 
this  method  has  obvious  drawbacks  it  is  felt  that  th<.  advantages 
outweigh  them,  and  that  this  treatment  is  the  best  suited  to  bring 
out  the  peculiar  conditions  existing  throughout  this  area.  The 
appendices  present  the  methodology  of  the  survey  and  the  definitions 
eni]:)loyed.  They  also  include  in  tabular  form  the  major  facts  of 
each  county  as  revealed  by  the  investigation.  These  appendices 
are  intended  especially  to  meet  the  needs  of  church  executives  and 
students  of  sociology  who  desire  to  carry  investigation  further  than 
is  possible  in  the  type  of  presentation  used  for  the  main  portion  of 
the  book. 


CONTENTS 


M'TER 


PAGE 

19 


I     The  Range  Country " 

II     Economic  and  Social  Tendencies       ....  40 

III  What  of  the  Church? 55 

IV  The  Church  Dollar yi 

V     To  Measure  Church  Effectiveness  .        ...  77 

VI     The  Preachers'  Goings  and  Comings         ...  90 

VII     Negro  and  Indian  Work       ...'..  96 

VlII     Non-Protestant  Work 98 

IX     Seeing  It  Whole 102 

Appendices 

I     Methodology  and  Definitions      .        .        .  121 

II     Tables .'       .       .  125 


ILLUSTRATIONS,  MAPS  AND  CHARTS 

ILLUSTRATIONS 
Big  Hole  River,  Montana Froiitispicce 

VAC.V. 

The  Town  Lock-up 23 

Loneliness  in  Union  County 25 

After  Some  Years 25 

Two  Community  Centers 27 

A  Spanish-American  Type  and  a  Typical  Adobe  House 

in  New  Mexico 31 

Where  Main  Street  Might  Have  Run        .        ...  33 

A  Wyoming  Ranch 35 

A  Montana  Mining  Camp 36 

When  Oil  is  Found 37 

A  Farm  Bureau  Demonstration 41 

A  Home  Demonstration  Agent 42 

A  Truck  Farm  in  Hughes  County 44 

Fruits  of  the  Earth 45 

Up-to-date  Reaping  on  the  Plains 47 

Wisdom  is  Justified 49 

Camping  in  Sheridan  County 51 

A  Frontier  Celebration 53 

A  Voice  in  the  Wilderness 57 

No  Room  for  Both 58 

Episcopal  Church  and  Parish  House 64 

A  Neglected  Outpost  of  Christianity          ....  75 

Not  a  Store  but  a  Church 78 

A  Case  of  Cooperation 80 

Happy  Little  Picnickers 85 

A  Good  Time  Was  Had  By  All 85 

Program  of  a  Community  Rally 88 

A  Parsonage  But  No  Church 94 

An  Oasis  in  the  Desert 98 

Watering  Her  Garden 103 

A  Community  Rendezvous "       .       .  104 

"Mary,  Call  the  Cattle  Home  !" 106 

XV 


ILLUSTRATIONS,  MAPS  AND  CHARTS 

PAGE 

Waiting  at  the  Church 107 

Hitting  the  Trail 

The  Family  Mansion 

A  Real  Community  House 

A  Church  that  Serves  the  Community 


MAPS 

Montana  and  Wyoming 20 

South  Dakota  and  New  Mexico 22 

Church  and  Community  Map  of  Hughes  County,  South 

Dakota 54-55 

Community  Map  of  Sheridan  County,  Wyoming  .  .  59 
Map    Showing    Churches    and    Parish    Boundaries    of 

Sheridan  County 59 

Church  and  Community  Map  of  Beaverhead  County  .  60 
Map    Showing    Churches    and    Parish    Boundaries    of 

Union  County,  New  Mexico 61 

Community  Map  of  Union  County,  New  Mexico  .  .  62 
Roman  Catholic  Churches  and  Parishes,  Union  County, 

New  Mexico 99 


CHARTS 

I  Analysis  of  Protestant  Church  Members 

H  Churches  Gaining  in  Membership      .... 

HI     Active  Church  Membership 

IV  Churches  with  Less  than  50  Members     . 

V  Relation  of  Size  of  Church  Membership  to  Gain 

VI     The  Church  Dollar 

VII     Frequency  of  Church  Services 

VIII  Number  of  Pastors  During  Past  Ten  Years 

IX     Residence  of  the  Ministers 


THE  CHURCH  ON 
THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


THE  CHURCH  ON 
THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

CHAPTER  I 

The  Range  Country 

AVAST  expanse  of  endlessly  stretching  plains,  dun-colored 
table-lands,  mysterious  buttes  against  a  far"  horizon,  and 
"always  the  tremendous,  almost  incredible  distances" — this 
is  the  typical  Range  country.  There  are  a  sweep  to  it  and  a  breadth, 
and  such  heavens  over  the  earth !  In  the  East,  unless  some  crimson 
sunset  attracts  indifferent  eyes,  the  sky  makes  less  of  the  picture 
than  the  earth.     But  this  is  sky  country. 

Roughly,  the  Range  area  comprises  the  states  between  the  Middle 
West  and  the  Far  West,  and  includes  a  wide  variety  of  landscape. 
Contained  in  this  picturesque  area  are  eight  states  with  parts  of 
others,  a  million  square  miles  over  which  are  spread  four  million 
people — about  a  third  less  than  are  crowded  into  New  York  City. 
The  four  counties  here  studied,  each  in  a  different  state,  provide 
fair  samples  of  a  great  deal  of  the  country.  Beaverhead  County, 
in  Montana,  and  Sheridan  County,  in  \\'yoming,  are  not  far  distant 
one  from  the  other.  Both  are  partly  mountainous,  rugged  in  con- 
tour, with  wide  valleys  rimmed  by  mountains,  and  miles  of  undu- 
lating range  land  and  low-lying  hills  traced  by  rivers.  This  is  the 
country  where  "the  smoke  goes  straight  up  and  the  latch-string  still 
hangs  on  the  outside  of  the  old-timer's  cabin,"  where  still  the  "sage- 
hen  clucks  to  her  young  at  the  water-hole  in  the  coulee  .  .  .  with 
lazy  grace,  the  eagle  swings  to  his  nest  in  the  lofty  pinnacle  and 
the  prairie  dog  stands  at  his  door  and  chatters." 

Beaverhead  is  in  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of  Montana, 
slightly  northwest  of  Yellowstone  Park  and  straight  south  from 
Butte.  It  is  bounded  by  Rocky  Mountain  ranges  on  the  west, 
south  and  northwest.  On  the  south  and  west  it  faces  the  State 
of  Idaho.  The  county  is  well  drained  and  w'atered  by  the  two 
principal  rivers,  the  Big  Hole  and  Beaverhead,  and  by  their  tribu- 
taries, and  here,  too,  the  Missouri  River  has  its  source.     Beayqr- 

19 


MONTANA 

0      15     so    W    to     >J 

Scale       of      Miles 


■]  I 


--,__.n-J ^1 -U 


H 


WYOMING 


MONTANA   AND   WVOMINC. 

T.ocatiiig    Beaverhead   and    Shcridau    Counties. 
20 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 

head  County  embraces  5,657  square  miles  or  3,620,480  acres.  Of 
this  area,  1,365,000  acres  are  inckided  in  the  Beaverhead  National 
Forest  Reserve  scattered  over  the  north,  west  and  southern  parts 
of  the  county.  A  small  part  of  the  Madison  National  Forest  also 
extends  into  the  county  on  the  west.  The  altitude  at  Monida,  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county,  is  about  6,500  feet  above  sea  level. 
The  Wyoming  county,  Sheridan,  lies  in  the  extreme  north 
central  section  of  the  state,  about  110  miles  east  of  Yellowstone 
Park,  Montana  forming  its  northern  boundary.  Sheridan  is  about 
100  miles  long  and  thirty  miles  wide,  the  total  area  being  2,574 
square  miles,  or  1,647,360  acres,  less  than  half  the  area  of  the 
Montana  county,  Beaverhead.  The  Big  Horn  Forest  Reserve  covers 
383,493  acres  of  Sheridan  County.  Rivers  and  creeks  are  numer- 
ous, the  chief  ones  being  Tongue  River,  Powder  River  and  Big 
Goose,  Prairie  Dog  and  Clear  Creeks.  The  city  of  Sheridan, 
the  county  seat,  has  an  altitude  of  Z,7?>7  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  other  two  counties.  Union  in  New  Mexico  and  Hughes 
in  South  Dakota,  consist  largely  of  plain  lands.  Union  lies  in  the 
northeastern  corner  of  the  state  of  New  Mexico,  with  three  states, 
Colorado,  Oklahoma  and  Texas,  to  the  north  and  east  of  her.  Union 
included  5,370  square  miles,  or  3,436,800  acres,  at  the  time  this 
survey  was  made.  About  one-sixth  of  the  southwestern  part  of 
Union  County  has,  however,  been  added  to  part  of  Mora  County, 
to  the  southwest,  to  form  a  new  county  named  Harding  which 
was  formally  inaugurated  on  June  14th,  1921.  The  land  consists 
mainly  of  dry,  level  plains  and  mesas,  although  there  are  some 
mountains  and  isolated  hills  or  buttes.  Aside  from  the  mountainous 
area,  which  is  wooded,  there  are  scarcely  any  trees  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  few  along  the  larger  creeks  and  those  cultivated  around 
ranch  houses.  The  northwestern  corner  of  the  county  is  the  most 
mountainous.  The  county  is  drained  chiefly  by  Ute  Creek,  flowing 
southeast  through  the  western  and  southwestern  sections  into  the 
Canadian  River,  and  in  the  northern  part  by  the  beautiful  Cimarron. 
There  are  a  number  of  small  streams,  but  many  are  dry  during 
a  large  part  of  the  year.  Union  has  exhilarating,  bracing  air  and 
radiant  sunshine. 

Hughes  is  a  small  county  almost  exactly  in  the  center  of  the 
State  of  South  Dakota.  It  has  the  shape  of  a  right-angled  triangle 
with  the  Missouri  River  forming  its  hypothenuse  from  the  north- 
west to  the  southeast  corner.  It  covers  485,760  acres  of  high  and 
rolling  prairie,  with  river  and  creek  bluffs  and  bottom  lands.  Sev- 
eral creeks  and  small  rivers  flow  directly  through  Hughes,  and  it 

21 


50UTH    DAKOTA 


20    40     60     eo 


6cale    of  h/liles 


NEW^^  MEXICO 

Scale    of  ivtiles 


SOUTH    DAKOTA    AND    NKW    MEXICO 
Locating  lluglics  and   Union   Counties. 


THE   RANGE  COUNTRY 

is  on  the  whole  one  of  the  best-watered  counties  in  South  Dakota. 
Pierre,  the  county  seat,  is  the  capital  of  the  state. 

Early   Days   on  the   Frontier 

The  story  of  these  counties  is  bound  up  with  the  discovery  and 
subsequent  history  of  the  West.  It  is,  as  Viola  Paradise  says, 
"the  story  of  Indians  and  early  explorers ;  of  hunters  and  fur 
traders  in  the  days  not  so  very   long  ago  when  the  bison   ranged 


THE    TOWN    LOCK-UP 

Tliis   primitive   jail    at   Bannock,    once   chosen    as   the    capital    of    Montana,    has    held    seme 
rough   characters   in    its  time,    but    is   now   abandoned. 

the  prairies;  then  of  a  few  ranchmen,  scattered  at  great  distances; 
of  great  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  succeeding  the  wild  buffaloes ; 
and  of  the  famous  cowboy;  then  of  the  coming  of  the  dry  farmer 
with  his  hated  fences ;  and  of  the  crowding  out  of  the  open  range 
cattlemen  and  the  substitution  of  the  homesteader." 

It  was  at  Two  Forks,  in  Beaverhead  County,  near  what  is  now 
the  village  of  Armstead,  that  Lewis  and  Clark,  at  a  critical  point 
in  their  expedition,  were  met  and  befriended  by  the  Shoshones, 
the  tribe  of  their  Indian  girl  guide,  Sacajawea.*  This  was  on 
August  17,  1805.  \\'hite  fur  traders  soon  followed  in  the  track 
of  this  famous  expedition,  and  after  them  came  Jason  and  Sidney 
Lee,  in  1834,  the  first  missionaries  to  reach  Montana. 


*A  monument  to  Sacajawea  was  erected  in  Armstead  in  1915. 
23 


THE   CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

The  next  landmark  in  the  county's  history  is  the  "gold  strike" 
on  Grasshopper  Creek,  in  1862.  News  of  the  find  spread  like 
wild-fire.  Miners  rushed  to  the  creek  and  set  up  their  tents,  shacks 
and  log  cahins.  Unlike  Rome,  this  first  town  of  Montana,  called 
Bannock,  was  built  in  a  single  night.  Soon  after  the  gold  seekers 
had  settled  down  to  work  in  earnest,  the  road  agents,  a  well-organ- 
ized gang  of  "roughs"  from  all  over  the  West,  began  to  rob  the 
stage-coaches  travelling  between  Bannock  and  Virginia  City.  "Inno- 
cent" was  their  pass- word;  mustaches,  beards  and  neckties  tied 
with  a  sailor's  knot,  their  sign  of  membership.  After  a  succession 
of  miners,  homeward  bound  with  their  gold-dust,  had  dropped  from 
sight,  never  to  be  heard  of  again,  those  who  remained  decided  to 
elect  a  sherifif.  Their  choice  fell  upon  a  certain  Henry  Plummer, 
who  was  also  sherifif  of  Virginia  City.  Plummer,  however,  never 
seemed  to  arrest  the  right  man,  a  circumstance  which  was  explained 
later  when  it  was  discovered  that  he  was  the  chief  of  the  gang  of 
road  agents.  The  funeral  of  a  miner  who  had  died  of  mountain 
fever,  the  first  man  for  some  time  to  die  from  a  natural  cause, 
gave  the  community  the  opportunity  to  organize  secretly  the  "Vigi- 
lantes," and  finally  to  round  up  the  road  agents,  either  hanging 
them  or  giving  them  warning  to  leave  the  country. 

Montana  was  established  as  a  territory  in  1864,  Bannock  be- 
coming the  first  capital,  and  in  the  same  year  the  first  county  seat 
of  Beaverhead  County.  The  capital  was  removed  to  Virginia  City 
in  1865,  but  not  until  1882  did  Dillon  become  the  county  seat.  The 
boundaries  of  Beaverhead  changed  very  little  until  1911,  when  938 
square  miles  of  Madison  County,  600,320  acres  in  all,  were  annexed. 
Men  began  settling  on  the  land  west  of  Bannock  as  early  as  1862; 
stock  men  mainly  with  herds.  A  few  farmers  also  began  to  take 
up  choice  bits  of  land  along  the  rivers.  The  railroad,  then  the  Utah 
Northern,  entered  from  the  south  in  1879.  As  it  was  being  built, 
tent  towns  were  established  every  fifty  miles.  One  of  these  towns 
was  never  moved  and  grew  into  the  present  town  of  Dillon. 

The  first  attempt  to  open  up  to  the  white  man  the  land  along 
the  Powder  and  Lower  Tongue  Rivers,  in  what  is  now  Sheridan 
County,  was  made  by  General  Patrick  E.  Conner  on  August  29, 
1865,  and  was  eminently  successful.  He  attacked  the  Arapahoe 
Indians  with  a  force  of  250  regular  soldiers  and  successfully  routed 
seven  hundred  warriors.  The  next  effort  ended,  however,  in  dis- 
aster. On  the  twenty-first  day  of  December,  1866,  at  a  point  on 
Sheridan's  soutliem  boundary  now  known  as  Massacre  Hill,  eighty- 
two  officers  and  men  sacrificed  their  lives  to  the  hostile  Sioux  and 

24 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 


.I^V 


LONEUNCSS    IN    UNION    COVNTV 
The    black    sptt    in    the    center    of    this    not    very    attractive    picture    is  'a    fquattcr's    lir.t 


R  ^(iMi.   ^  I 


In    contrast    with    the    top   picture    is    this    one    of    an    attractive    farmhouse    which    shows 
what  can  be  done   on  the  plains  of   Xew   Mexico. 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHAXGIXG  FROXTIER 

Cheyennes  in  attempting  to  open  a  road  across  the  country  from 
Fort  Laramie  to  Montana. 

The  first  claim  ever  taken  up  in  this  region  was  in  1878,  on 
Little  Goose  Creek,  near  Big  Horn,  and  the  first  irrigation  ditch 
was  constructed  the  next  year.  Big  Horn  was  laid  out  in  1880, 
and  the  first  store  opened.  The  first  newspaper  in  the  county  was 
the  Big  Horn  Sc)iti)icl,  and  the  first  agricultural  fair  was  held  in 
Big  Horn  in  1885.  The  first  cabin  was  built  on  the  present  site 
of  Sheridan  City  in  1878.  Sheridan  was  laid  out  in  1882  and 
incorporated  as  a  city  in  1884.  Until  1881,  the  territory  contained 
in  Johnson  and  Sheridan  Counties  was  unorganized  and  had  no 
county  government,  but  lay  within  the  jurisdiction  of  Carbon  County 
courts.  It  became  Johnson  County  in  1881.  In  1887  it  was  divided 
by  popular  vote,  the  northern  portion  being  named  Sheridan  County 
in  memory  of  the  gaP.ant  General  Phil  Sheridan,  whose  army,  in 
the  1881  expedition,  camped  on  the  site  of  Sheridan  City. 

L'nion  County,  in  centuries  past  the  camping  grounds  of  van- 
ished tribes,  is  now  white  man's  country,  but  it  did  not  become 
so  until  the  Santa  Fe  trail  opened  the  great  Southwest.  \\'ith 
the  Rabbit  Ear  Mountains  to  guide  settlers  the  old  trail  came 
across  Union  County,  untravclled  until  1822,  and  finally,  two  years 
later,  the  first  wagons  crept  slowly  westward,  facing  in  that  jiioneer 
mood  now  become  historic  the  hardships  of  climate  and  the  perils 
of  hostile  redskins.  In  Union  County  the  story  survives  of  a  mas- 
sacre by  Indians,  which  accounts  for  the  tardy  white  settlements 
in  this  region. 

In  1870,  there  were  about  a  dozen  homes  of  white  settlers 
in  the  whole  area.  The  railroad,  in  1887-88,  encouraged  develop- 
ment which  began  with  Clayton  a  year  later.  In  February,  1893, 
the  Territorial  Legislature  incorporated  into  L^nion  County  parts 
of  Colfax,  Mora  and  San  Miguel.  The  original  boundaries  of 
Union  County  were  not  changed  until  190.S,  when  265  square 
miles  were  added  to  Quay  County.  Beginning  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  county  and  gradually  working  southwards,  stockmen  took 
up  claims  close  to  water  and  used  public  land  for  grazing.  Up  to 
about  1900,  most  of  the  territory  remained  open  range  land  in  which 
cattle  were  raised  on  a  large  scale,  but  since  that  time,  it  has 
gradually  been  homesteaded. 

The  section  around  Pierre,  in  Hughes  County,  was  the  oldest 
settlement  in  the  State  of  South  Dakota.  Fort  Pierre,  across  the 
river  from  Pierre,  was  established  in  1817.  and  there  was  con- 
tinuous settlement  after  that.     At  the  conclusion  of  the  Red  Cloud 

26 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 


TWO   COMMUNITY   CENTERS 

The  local  store  and  the  school  of   De  Grey  community,   Hughes   County,    S.    D.,   the  only 
meeting    places    for    widely    scattered    "neighbors." 


27 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

War  of  1866-68,  the  Laramie  Treaty  with  the  Sioux  Indians  es- 
tabhshed  a  great  Sioux  reservation  embracing  all  the  land  west 
of  Missouri,  from  the  Niobrara  River  on  the  south  to  the  Cannon 
Ball  River  on  the  north  and  horthwest,  to  the  Yellowstone.  This 
reservation  lay  unbroken  until  1876,  the  year  when  the  Indians 
surrendered  the  Black  Hills.  When  the  gold  rush  to  the  Black 
Hills  began,  Fort  Pierre  was  the  nearest  settled  point  and  the 
traffic  center.  Because  the  railroad  had  no  right  of  way  through 
the  reservation,  the  line  could  not  be  extended  to  the  Black  Hills. 
The  first  permanent  American  settlement  in  Hughes  County 
was  made  in  1873,  when  Thomas  L.  Riggs  established  the  Con- 
gregational Indian  Mission  at  Oahe,  where  he  still  continues  a 
church.  When  the  railway  reached  Pierre  in  1881,  there  came  the 
first  "boom"  in  the  history  of  the  county.  All  sorts  and  conditions 
of  people  took  up  half  sections,  and  Hughes  County  was  almost 
homesteaded  between  the  years  1881  and  1883.  The  second  boom 
came  in  the  years  1899-91,  later  followed  by  a  reaction  and  slump. 
About  the  year  1903,  Pierre  was  selected  as  the  State  capital.  All 
sorts  of  efforts  were  made  to  stejil  the  honor  for  some  other  town 
until  in  1905  a  bill  provided  for  a  capitol  building  at  Pierre  which 
was  completed  in  1913.  The  railway  began  in  1906  to  extend  to 
the  Black  Hills.  Thereafter,  until  1910.  all  the  region  west  'of 
Missouri  was  settled,  and  practically  all  of  these  new  settlers  came 
through  Pierre.  In  1911  the  construction  was  finished,  people  were 
out  of  work,  and  there  came  another  slump.  There  was  also  a 
drought  during  the  period   1911-12-13. 

Transportation  and   Roads 

There  is  practically  no  competition  between  railroads  in  any 
of  these  counties.  Each  has  one  main  line  running  through  it, 
along  which  are  located  the  county  seat  and  other  smaller  centers. 
Beaverhead  has  the  Oregon  Short  Pine;  Sheridan  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Ouincy ;  Hughes  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  ;  and 
Union  the  Colorado  &  Southern.  Three  counties  also  have  small  sec- 
tions of  branch  lines,  and  Sheridan  has  twelve  miles  of  trolley  line 
giving  city  service,  and  reaching  all  but  one  of  the  mining  camps  to 
the  north  of  Sheridan  City.  None  of  these  counties  has  really  ade- 
quate train  service.  The  distance  from  markets  thus  becomes  an  acute 
problem  in  certain  parts  of  all  four  counties,  but  especially  in  Beaver- 
head, Sheridan  and  Union  on  account  of  their  greater  distances. 

Each  county  has  at  least  one  good  stretch  of  road.  A  large 
28 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 

proportion  of  the  crossroads  have  never  been  improved.  Many 
of  them  are  only  trails.  Beaverhead  has  2,365  miles  of  roads,  of 
which  1,500  miles  are  improved  and  865  are  unimproved.  Ap- 
proximately $278,147.00  has  been  spent  on  roads  in  the  last  five 
years.  The  combined  length  of  public  roads  in  Sheridan  County 
is  796  miles.  Five  miles  are  hard-surfaced,  five  are  red  shale, 
seventeen  are  gravel,  150  are  State  Highway  and  410  are  legally 
established  traveled  roads,  sixty-six  feet  wide  and  dragged  when 
necessary.  There  are  also  200  miles  of  unimproved  roads  known 
as  "feeders."  During  the  last  five  years,  approximately  $310,000.00 
has  been  spent  on  county  roads,  not  including  the  amount  spent 
on  State  roads.  Both  Sheridan  and  Beaverhead  are  fortunate  in. 
their  location  on  highways  leading  to  Yellowstone  Park ;  Beaver- 
head is  on  the  Western  Park-to-Park  highway,  and  Sheridan  is  on 
the  Custer  Battlefield  highway. 

During  the  past  four  years  roads  in  Union  County  have  im- 
proved. The  Colorado  to  Gulf  highway  from  Galveston  to  Denver, 
enters  the  county  at  Texline  and  continues  for  seventy-five  miles 
to  the  Colfax  County  line  northwest  of  Des  Moines.  This  is  graded 
road  and  it  is  maintained  partly  by  the  Federal  Government,  which 
pays  50  per  cent.,  and  partly  by  the  State  and  county  which  pay 
25  per  cent.  each.  There  are  180  miles  of  State  highways  in  the 
county  for  which  the  State  and  county  each  pay  50  per  cent. 
Two  Federal  Aid  projects  are  also  under  way  in  the  county  at 
present.  Something  over  650  miles  of  roads  are  maintained  by 
the  county,  and  there  are  about  2,000  miles  of  community  roads 
which  are  dependent  upon  local  care. 

The  total  road  mileage  of  Hughes  County  is  978,  with  no  hard- 
surfaced  but  with  four  miles  of  gravel  roads,  and  175  miles  of 
other  improved  roads.  There  are  also  799  miles  of  unimproved 
road.  Forty-five  miles  of  highway  have  been  built  by  the  State 
between  Pierre  and  Harrold  and  are  maintained  by  the  county. 


The  People 

All  these  counties  were  settled  chiefly  by  homesteaders  who 
came  from  all  over  the  United  States,  but  chiefly  from  the  Middle. 
West  and  Southwest.  Missouri,  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Texas 
and  Oklahoma  are  the  states  most  widely  represented.  A  great 
many  are  children  of  original  homesteaders. 

The  breathless  haste  with  which  settlers  occupied  and  developed 
29 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

this  great  primeval  region  of  the  West,  rich  in  natural  resources, 
is  shown  hy  the   following  figures  of   population : 

Beaverhead  Hughes  Sheridan                Union 

1870 712 

1880 2,712  262 

1890 4.655  5,044  1,972 

1900 5,615  3,684  5,122                    4,528 

1910  6.444  6,271  16,324                    11,404 

1920 7,369  5,711  18,132                   16,680 

The  greatest  period  of  growth  for  Beaverhead  was  from  1870 
to  1880;  for  Hughes  from  1880  to  1890;  but  both  Union  and 
Sheridan  made  their  largest  increase  from  1900  to  1910,  while 
Beaverhead  during  those  years  has  made  a  slow,  steady  gain. 

Hughes  has  had  "booms,"  and  has  gained  and  lost  population 
in  succeeding  decades.  Sheridan  and  Union,  the  newer  counties, 
have  forged  rapidly  ahead  of  the  others  in  population.  Sheridan, 
on  account  of  her  city,  has  made  a  rapid  urban  increase,  but  her 
rural  increase  has  been  slow  and  steady.  Union  is  a  large  county 
with  no  Forest  Reserve  area  and  has  been  homesteaded  rapidly. 
Although,  in  1903,  265  square  miles  were  taken  away  from  Union, 
the  population  in  1910  was  11,404,  or  an  increase  of  151.9  per  cent, 
during  the  decade  from  1900.  The  density  of  rural  population 
per  square  mile  in  Beaverhead  is  9.8,  in  Sheridan  3.5,  in  Hughes 
2).Z  and  in  Union  3. 

The  \\'est  has  a  smaller  percentage  of  foreign-born  population 
than  the  East  or  Middle  West.  In  three  of  the  states  represented, 
Montana,  Wyoming  and  South  Dakota,  the  percentage  of  foreign- 
born  has  decreased  in  the  last  decade.  In  Montana,  it  decreased 
from  24.4  per  cent,  to  17  per  cent.;  in  \\'yoming,  from  18.6  per 
cent,  to  13  per  cent.;  and  in  South  Dakota,  from  17.2  per  cent,  to 
12.9  per  cent.  New  Mexico,  with  the  smallest  proportion  of  foreign- 
born  of  any  of  the  four  states,  went  from  6.9  per  cent,  in  1910 
to  8  per  cent,  in  1920. 

Sheridan,  with  15.9  per  cent.,  is  the  only  one  of  the  four  counties 
studied  whose  foreign-born  population  remained  constant.  In 
Beaverhead,  the  proportion  fell  from  18.1  to  14,  in  Hughes  from 
11.4  to  8.1  and  in  Union  from  2.2  to  1.7.  The  total  number  of 
foreign-born  in  all  four  counties  is  4,670,  or  9.7  per  cent,  of  the 
total  number  of  people.  Germans  predominate  in  Union,  Hughes 
and  Sheridan.  In  Beaverhead,  the  predominating  nationalities  are 
Danes,  Swedes  and  Austrians.  The  New  Americans  in  Beaverhead, 
Hughes  and  Union  are  largely  on  the  land  ;  in  Sheridan  County, 
the  majority  are  in  the  mining  camps. 

SO 


THE   RANGE  COUNTRY 


A      SPANISH-AMERICAN      TYPE      AND      A 
TYPICAL  ADOBE   HOUSE  IN   NEW   MEXICO 


SI 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

Less  than  one  hundred  Indians  are  reported  in  the  combined 
four  counties,  and  the  number  has  been  diminishing  in  every  county 
except  Union.  Sixty-nine  of  the  eighty-one  reporting  are  in  Hughes 
County,  a  small  section  of  which  is  included  in  the  Crow  Creek 
Indian  Reservation.  But  Hughes  had  169  in  1910.  Spanish- 
Americans  in  Union,  a  cross  between  Mexicans  and  Pueblo  Indians 
(the  Spaniards  brought  no  women  with  them  for  400  years),  equal 
between  one-fourth  and  one-third  of  the  total  population.  They 
live  chiefly  in  the  south-central  and  southwestern  sections  of  the 
county,  and  together  with  their  habitations  remind  one  of  picturesque 
Mexico.  Sheridan  County  has  the  largest  proportion  of  negroes 
of  any  of  the  four  counties — 147  out  of  a  total  of  214;  but  these 
western  states  in  general  have  only  a  small  percentage  of  negroes 
in  their  population,  varying  from  1.6  per  cent,  in  New  Mexico  to 
9.7  in  W'yoming.  The  Chinese  and  Japanese  in  the  four  counties 
number,  all  told,  less  than  150. 


Wide  Spaces  and  Few  People 

County  areas  ordinarily  group  themselves  into  so-called  "com- 
munities," where  individuals  share  common  social  and  economic 
interests  centering  in  a  definite  locality.  In  this  country,  with  its 
scattered  pioneer  population,  community  groupings  are  less  definite 
and  permanent  than  in  the  East  or  Middle  West.  Here  thev  are 
usually  determined  by  topography,  and  especially  by  the  rivers 
and  creeks  and  the  railroad.  Along  the  railroad  are  trade  centers 
which  serve  the  entire  county.  The  majority  of  these  communities 
are  of  small  population  and  large  area,  with  a  small  trading  center 
containing  stores,  hotel,  school,  possibly  a  church  or  two  and  some 
houses  huddled  together.  The  county  seat  largely  centralizes  the 
life  of   each   county. 

Outside  the  trade  centers  and  the  open  country  area  included 
within  their  community  boundaries,  the  counties  fall  into  certain 
social  groupings.  Where  the  land  is  good,  and  is  being  intensively 
developed,  there  are  well-defined  permanent  communities.  Some 
have  even  grown  staid  and  conservative.  In  other  sections  the 
story  is  pathetically  different.  One  lonely  family,  a  forlorn  row 
of  claim  shacks  along  the  horizon,  are  all  that  is  left  of  a  real 
social  life  that  existed  only  a  few  years  before.  A  woman  standing 
at  the  door  of  the  only  habitation  in  a  round  of  sky  and  stretch  of 
plain,  tells  how  "all  the  good  neighbors  are  gone  and  us  left  grieving 
for  tlic  fine  times  we  once  had."     Transiency  is   usual   in   home- 

32 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 

steading  country,  many  people  only  remaining  long  enough  to  home- 
stead their  land.  In  Beaverhead  and  Hughes,  which  have  been 
longer  homesteaded,  there  is  a  larger  proportion  of  residents  of 
more  than  fifteen  years  than  in  the  other  two  counties.  But  in 
all  four  counties,  there  are  temporary  groups  of  people  with  some 
social  life  at  present,  which  may  or  may  not  have  significance  in 
the  future.  On  the  whole,  present  development  tends  to  be  per- 
manent because  most  of  the  desirable  land  in  Beaverhead,  Sheridan 
and  Union,  and  all  of  the  land  in  Hughes  has  long  since  been  taken 
up.    All  community  limits  are  more  or  less  indefinite.    For  example. 


WHERE   MAIN   STREET   MIGHT   HAVE  RUN 
The  hut  of  a  lonely  homesteader. 

a  rancher  living  near  the  boundary  of  two  communities  may  go 
to  two  or  more  centers  for  trade.  And  a  dance  or  barbecue  will 
bring  people  from  any  number  of  the  communities. 

County  interests  tend  to  become  concentrated  in  increasing  pro- 
portion in  the  county  seat.  Dillon,  the  Beaverhead  County  seat, 
is  fairly  well  located  in  the  central  eastern  section.  It  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  business  towns  of  the  state,  drawing  trade 
from  every  point  in  Idaho.  Dillon  is  a  retired  ranchers'  town, 
conservative  and  wealthy.  Community  spirit  is  not  manifest.  The 
old  settlers  run  the  town  and  are  not  friendly  to  the  ideas  of  others. 
Even  a  Commercial  Club  has  found  it  hard  to  survive  in  Dillon. 
Sheridan  City,  the  county  seat  of  Sheridan  County,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  about  10,000,  is  wide-awake  and  progressive.  Although 
there  are  a  number  of  growing  industries  and  it  is  a  division  point 
on  the  railroad,  Sheridan  is  also  dependent  to  a  large  extent  upon 

33 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

farming.  Clayton,  the  county  seat  of  Union,  a  town  with  a  spirit 
of  "boost,"  informs  travellers  by  means  of  a  bill  board  that  it 
is  "the  smallest  town  on  earth  with  a  Rotary."  Clayton's  large 
proportion  of  transient  population  is  at  once  typical  of  the  frontier 
in  its  nonchalant  spirit,  in  its  cowboys  with  sombreros,  jingling 
spurs  and  high-heeled  boots  that  click  along  the  pavements ;  it 
typifies  the  Range  country  in  the  canvas-covered  wagons,  coming 
in  provided  with  camping  outfits  and  rations  to  last  for  several 
days  because  "home"  is  far  away.  But  all  this  is  gradually  chang- 
ing, and  Clayton  is  becoming  more  of  a  farming  center,  less  like 
the  frontier  and  more  like  the  Middle  West.  Pierre,  the  Hughes 
County  seat  and  State  capital,  is  a  busy  town.  It  has  a  number 
of  industries  and  is  the  center  for  an  extensive  farming  and  stock- 
raising  region,  but  the  capitol  overshadows  the  rest  of  the  town 
in  importance. 

Means  of  Livelihood 

Cattle  were  once  raised  on  a  large  scale  in  this  country.  That 
was  the  day  of  the  cowboy.  But  with  the  coming  of  the  home- 
steader and  his  fenced  land,  stock  has  had  to  be  raised  in  smaller 
herds  and  more  restricted  areas.  In  the  old  days,  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  open  range  land.  Most  of  this  has  now  been  homesteaded. 
Naturally  the  rancher  has  resented  the  steady  appropriation  of  his 
"free  range"  by  the  farmer. 

While  cattle  raising  is  still  the  chief  source  of  income,  there 
has  been  a  steady  gain  in  the  relative  value  of  farming,  especially 
since  the  introduction  of  irrigation  and  dry-farming  methods.  About 
half  the  farm  land  in  both  Beaverhead  and  Sheridan  is  under  irri- 
gation, and  there  is  some  irrigated  land  in  the  northern  part  of  Union, 
but  practically  no  irrigation  in  Hughes  County.  Some  dry 
farming  is  carried  on  in  every  section  of  each  county.  General 
farming  and  dairying  rank  next  to  stock  raising.  Hay  and  forage 
are  the  chief  crops.  Considerable  farm  land  is  fit  only  for  range 
land  for  cattle;  it  is  too  broken  or  dry  for  crops.  Dairying  is  com- 
paratively a  new  development. 

Forest  Reserve  land  in  Beaverhead  and  Sheridan  is  allotted  to 
ranches  for  cattle  range.  In  Beaverhead  National  Forest,  10,530 
acres  have  been  homesteaded  and  seventy-five  claims  have  been 
listed,  chiefly  in  160  acre  tracts.  A'ery  little  homesteading  has  been 
done  in  the  Big  Horn  National  Forest  because  the  entire  area  is 
above  the  practical  range  of   farm  crops,  and  killing  frosts  occur 

34 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 

every  month  in  the  year.  In  the  entire  forest,  only  about  a  dozen 
tracts  have  been  taken  under  the  homestead  laws,  averaging  a  Httle 
over  one  hundred  acres  each ;  all  have  been  abandoned,  except  a 
few  used  as  summer  resorts. 

As  is  usually  the  case  in  frontier  country,  a  large  majority  of 
the  farms  and  ranches  are  operated  by  owners.  South  Dakota,  at 
the  threshold  of  the  West,  has  a  larger  proportion  of  tenancy  than 
any  of  the  other  states  represented.  The  percentage  in  South 
Dakota  is  34.9  per  cent.,  in  New  Mexico  it  is   12.2  per  cent.,  in 


A    WYOMING    RANCH 
The  home  of  a  well-to-do  rancher  in   Sheridan   County. 

Wyoming  it  is  12.5  per  cent.,  and  in  Montana  it  is  11.3  per  cent. 
In  Beaverhead  tenancy  has  decreased  from  10.2  per  cent,  in  1910 
to  7.2  per  cent,  in  1920.  In  Sheridan,  it  has  remained  about  the 
same,  20.5  per  cent,  in  1910  and  20.4  per  cent,  in  1920.  Hughes 
has  had  a  marked  increase — from  16.6  per  cent,  in  1910  to  30.9 
per  cent,  in  1920.  Tenancy  has  increased  11.9  per  cent,  in  Union 
during  the  past  decade.  This  has  been  partly  because  so  much  of 
the  land  is  held  by  absentee  owners  who  have  proved  up  on  the 
land,  moved  away,  and  are  waiting  for  property  to  go  up  in  value; 
also  because  on  account  of  the  high  taxation  some  cattlemen  find 
that  they  make  better  profits  by  renting  instead  of  owning. 

Beaverhead   County  is  rich   in  minerals,   including  gold,   silver, 
copper,  lead,  ore,  graphite,  coal  and  building  stone.     Comparatively 

35 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

little  mining-  has  been  done  since  the  war  on  account  of  low  prices. 
A  large  amount  of  coal  is  jiroduced  in  Sheridan  County.  Stretching 
out  one  after  the  other  in  a  comi)act  series,  there  are  six  large 
mines  north  of  Sheridan  City,  set  in  the  midst  of  an  agricultural 
area  and  having  little  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  county.  There 
is  also  a  small  coal  mine  being  operated  at  Arvada  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  county.     A  number  ot  farmers  and  ranchmen  are  lucky 


A    MOXTAXA    MIXING    CAMP 


enough  to  have  small  coal  veins  on  their  land,  and  mine  their  own 
coal  with  pick  and  shovel. 

Oil  is  thought  to  be  present  in  both  Hughes  and  Union,  but 
very  little  has  been  done  with  its  development.  There  is  some 
coal  in  the  mountains  in  Union,  and  building  stone  and  deposits 
of  lime  and  alum  are  found  in  some  communities.  There  are 
numerous  gas  wells  in  Hughes  County.  Many  ranches  have  wells 
giving;  sufficient  gas  for  all  domestic  purposes. 

Each  county  has  a  number  of  smaller  industries,  such  as  print- 
ing establishments,  lumber  yards,  etc.  Sheridan  City  has  several 
large  plants,  including  an  iron  works,  flour  mill,  sugar  beet  factory 
and  a  brick  and  tile  plant.    All  the  counties  benefit  from  the  summer 

36 


THE  RANGE  COUNTRY 

auto-tourist  trade.  The  city  and  towns  all  have  camping  grounds 
for  tourists.  Sheridan  has  a  tourist  building,  with  a  sitting-room, 
fire-place  for  rainy  days  and  rest  rooms,  in  her  city  park.  Sheridan 
also  has  a  park  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountains.  Both  Beaverhead 
and  Sheridan  have  a  small  number  of  resorts.  Sheridan  ha?  three 
"Dude"  ranches,  the  largest  of  which  is  the  Eaton  ranch,  estab- 
lished in   1904. 

The  Young  Idea 

Good  school  systems  have  been  developed  in  the  comparatively 
short   time    since   these   counties   were   organized    and    running   as 


WHEN    OIL    IS    FOUND 
The   Snorty   Gobbler   Project   at   Granville,   N.   M. 


active  units  of  group  life.  Buildings  are  almost  all  fairly  well 
built.  Teachers  receive  good  salaries.  Of  course,  the  schools  are 
nowhere  near  ideal.  The  isolation  and  distances  present  serious 
school  problems.  Small  rural  schools  persist  where  distances  are 
great.  Union  is  the  only  county  of  the  four  with  any  consolidated 
schools.  The  problem  of  supervision  is  great.  Each  county  has 
local  school  districts  and  a  local  board  of  trustees  in  each.  The 
county  superintendent,  a  woman  in  each  county,  has  a  difificult 
time  visiting  the  more  remote  schools  and  does  not  reach  them 
often.  Many  roads  and  trails  are  practically  impassable  during  the 
largest   part   of   the    school   year.      Because   of   the   isolation   it   is 

37 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

often  difficult  to  find  a  teacher  or  to  get  a  place  for  her  to  live, 
when  one  is  secured.  School  terms  vary  from  five  to  nine  months, 
the  longer  terms  predominating.  Only  six  communities  in  the  four 
counties   have   active   Parents'   and   Teachers'   associations. 

Besides  the  two  elementary  schools  in  Dillon,  used  as  model 
schools  by  the  State  Normal  which  is  located  there,  Beaverhead 
County  has  forty-six  elementary  schools.  Two  of  these,  the  schools 
in  both  villages,  Wisdom  and  Lima,  ofifer  one  year  of  high  school. 
The  only  four-year  high  school  in  the  county,  located  at  Dillon, 
has  sixteen  teachers  and  a  student  enrollment  of  185.  The  entire 
school  enrollment  in  the  county  in  1920-21  was  2,671  ;  the  total 
number  of  teachers,  100;  the  total  cost  of  school  maintenance 
$510,006.00.  The  State  Normal  had  an  enrollment  of  561  during 
the  summer  of  1920;  190  in  the  winter  of  1920-21  and  620  in  the 
summer  of  1921. 

There  were  seventy-four  schools  running  in  Sheridan  County 
in  1920-21,  not  including  the  city  schools.  In  addition  to  the 
Sheridan  High  School,  there  are  five  schools  in  the  county  offering 
some  high  school  training.  Big  Horn  has  had  a  four  year  course, 
but  this  year  (1921-22)  is  sending  her  third  and  fourth  year  high 
school  pupils  to  Sheridan  City  in  a  school  bus ;  Dayton  ofifers  two 
years  of  high  school,  and  Ranchester,  Ulm  and  Clearmont  each 
have  one  year.  An  annual  county  graduation  day  is  held  in  the 
Sheridan  High  School.  It  is  an  all-day  afifair  with  a  picnic  in 
the  park  in  the  afternoon.  The  total  number  of  pupils  in  rural 
schools  in  1920-21  was  1,850,  the  total  cost  of  maintenance,  $264,- 
647.21.  The  Sheridan  High  School  with  its  enrollment  of  522 
is  the  largest  in  the  state.  The  total  school  enrollment  of  the 
county,  including  the  five  Sheridan  City  elementary  schools  and 
the  high  school  was  4,772.  There  was  a  total  of  173  teachers,  of 
which  ninety-six  were  employed  in  the  rural  schools.  A  parochial 
school  in  Sheridan  City  has  an  enrollment  of  about  180  and  four 
teachers.  The  city  also  has  two  privately  owned  business  colleges 
with  a  total  enrollment  of  150. 

In  Union  County,  there  are  108  elementary  schools  outside  of 
Clayton,  with  a  total  enrollment  of  4,500  and  a  force  of  170  teachers. 
Nine  schools  have  some  high  school  work.  Five  have  a  two-year 
course  ;  two  have  a  four-year  course.  Several  elementary  schools 
have  been  consolidated  within  the  past  few  years,  and  occupy 
new  buildings  to  which  the  children  living  at  a  distance  are  trans- 
ported in  motor  trucks.  Bedsides  four  earlier  issues  of  school  bonds, 
totalling  $79,000,  the  people  have  voted,  in  this  year  of  hard  times, 

38 


THE   RANGE  COUNTRY 

an  additional  issue  of  $88,000.  Clayton  has  four  elementary  schools 
with  seventeen  teachers  and  an  enrollment  of  723.  The  Clayton 
High  School  has  twelve  teachers  and  an  enrollment  of  225.  It 
has  a  new  well-equipped  building. 

Hughes  County  has  thirty-nine  rural  schools  outside  of  Pierre. 
Four  schools  offer  some  high  school  work,  two  offering  one  year, 
one  two  years  and  one  three  years.  Pierre  has  three  elementary 
schools.  The  Pierre  four-year  high  school  has  220  students.  The 
total  school  enrollment  of  the  county,  including  the  schools  in 
Pierre,  was  1,530,  the  total  number  of  teachers  seventy  and  the 
total  cost  of  maintenance  $130,199.35.  There  is  a  Government  In- 
dian Industrial  School  located  just  outside  Pierre. 

The  lack  of  opportunity  for  high  school  training  in  so  large  a 
part  of  each  county,  brings  about  an  increasing  migration  into  the 
county  seat  for  educational  advantages.  Many  families  leave  their 
ranches  and  move  in  for  the  winter  instead  of  sending  a  child  or 
two.  Some  come  in  for  elementary  schools,  because  of  bad  roads 
and  the  inaccessibilit>  of  their  country  school.  This  is  one  of 
the  greatest  factors  in  the  growth  of  these  centers.  To  illustrate 
the  number  of  pupils  from  the  country,  150  of  the  522  pupils  of 
the  Sheridan  High  School  are  non-resident  and  a'l  but  about  ten 
are  from  Sheridan  County.  In  Union  County,  fifty  of  the  225 
pupils  in  the  Clayton  High  School  come  from  all  over  the  county, 
the  majority  coming  from  ten  miles  around  Clayton.  The  number 
of  county  children  attending  Clayton  schools  is  increasing  at  the 
rate  of  about  15  per  cent,  a  year.  These  children  have  certain 
marked  characteristics.  They  are  older  for  their  grade  than  the 
town  children,  they  average  higher  marks,  and  are  anxious  to  make 
the  best  of  their  opportunity.  In  other  words,  they  do  not  take 
education  for  granted,  like  the  town  or  city  child. 


39 


CHAPTER  II 

Economic  and  Social  Tendencies 
Growth  of  the  Farm  Bureau 

NC)  greater  laboratory  exists  for  scientific  farming  than  in  this 
western  country.  A  Farm  Bureau,  popularized  through 
county  agents,  is  an  asset  of  prime  significance  to  a  region 
that  will  endow  the  rest  of  the  country  with  the  fruits  ■  of  its 
development.  Hughes,  in  1915,  was  the  first  of  the  four  counties 
to  organize  a  Farm  Bureau.  Sheridan  and  Union  followed  in 
1919.  Beaverhead  County  has  no  Farm  Bureau.  A  County  Farm 
Agent  was  employed  for  eight  months  in  1918,  but  did  not  have 
the  support  of  the  ranchers.  They  felt  that  an  agent,  in  a  stock 
raising  county  like  Beaverhead  where  hay  flourished  without  cul- 
tivation, was  a  needless  expense.  As  one  rancher  remarked,  "We 
did  not  want  some  one  w'ho  knew  less  about  our  business  than  we 
did."  As  an  index  to  the  success  attending  expert  farm  advice, 
one  entire  comnumity  in  Beaverhead  attempted  and  abandoned  dry 
farming,  whereas  in  other  counties  where  Farm  Bureaus  and  agents 
have  given  service  and  advice  no  entire  community  has  failed  so 
completely. 

The  Farm  Bureaus  not  only  improve  agricultural  methods,  but 
are  creating  local  leaders  and  a  comnumity  spirit.  The  Farm 
Bureau  offers  a  definite  program  that  is  rewarding  if  adopted.  It 
develops  in  the  individual  community  a  spirit  of  independence  and 
self-respect  w^hich  must  precede  cooperation.  The  Sheridan  Farm 
Bureau  records  a  typical  objective:  "to  promote  the  development 
of  the  most  profitable  and  permanent  system  of  agriculture ;  the 
most  wholesome  and  satisfactory  living  conditions  ;  the  highest  ideals 
in  home  and  community  life,  and  a  genuine  interest  in  the  farm 
business  and  rural  life  on  the  part  of  the  boys  and  girls  and  young 
people.  .  .  .  There  shall  be  a  definite  program  of  work  .  .  .  based 
on  the  results  of  a  careful  study  of  the  problems  of  the  county. 
It  shall  be  formulated  and  carried  out  by  the  members  of  the 
organization,  with  the  assistance  of  their  agents  and  specialists 
as  may  be  available  from  the  State  Agricultural  College." 

40 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES 

Each  Farm  Bureau  has  county  leaders  or  a  board  of  directors, 
each  member  speciahzing  in  and  promoting  some  particular  project, 
as  poultry,  cattle,  marketing  of  grain,  dairying,  roads,  child  welfare, 
clothing,  food  and  county  fair.  During  1919-1920  forty-three 
Farm  Bureau  meetings  were  held  in  Sheridan  County,  with  a  total 
attendance  of  1,321.  Twenty  extension  schools  or  courses  were 
given  with  a  total  attendance  of  261.  Two  community  fairs  were 
held,  and  six  communities  put  on  recreation  programs.  The  Farm 
Bureau   upheld   Governor   Carey's   announcement   of    Good   Roads 


A    FARM    HUKKAU    DEMONSTRATION 
The  County  Agent  for  Sheridan  is  making  grasshopper  poiscn. 

Day  by  donating  $3,300  worth  of  work  on  the  roads.  Seventeen 
communities  were  organized;  twelve  have  ccmmunity  committees. 
Nothing  can  better  create  community  spirit  and  enlist  cooperation. 
Each  community  also  adopts  a  program  of  work  of  its  own 
under  the  leadership  of  the  community  committee.  A  community 
program  for  Union  County,  which  is  inaccessible  to  the  railroad, 
is  as  follows : 


Program  of  Work    Goal  for  1921 
Poultry  Market  eggs 


Livestock 


Organize  pig 

club 
Organize  calf 

club 


Accoinplishvicnts 

to  Date 

Letters   written 

for  markets 

Two  talks 
Two  leaders  se- 
cured 


Work  Still  To  Be 
Done 

Prices  not  suffi- 
cient to  warrant 
shipping  as  yet 


41 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


Program  of  Work       Goal  for  1921 

Home  beautifica-      Plant  trees,  vines 
tion  and  shrubbery 


Accomplishments     Work  Still  To  Be 
to  Date  Done 

Planted 


Road 
Rodent 

Coyote 


Fix  bad  places 


Rodent  poison 
demonstration 


Secured  county 
aid.     Got 
bridge 

11  poisoned 


Keep  at  it 
Eradication 


'Kill  'em" 


Nine  put  out  co- 
yote poison  and      Complete  it 
killed    48     co- 
yotes 


A     HOME    DKMOXSTRATIOX    A(,EXT 

Here   is  a   Woman's   Club   at   an   all-day   meeting   in    I'ninn   County   receiving   instuctions   in 
the   workings   of   an    iceless   refrigerator. 


The  Farm  Bureau  works  with  the  County  Agents,  the  Home 
Demonstration  Agents,  and  the  Boys'  and  Girls'  Chib  leaders, 
wherever  such  agents  exist.  The  County  Agents  are  giving  them- 
selves whole-heartedly  to  their  jobs,  and  the  demands  for  their 
services  keep  them  busy  driving  through  counties  for  purposes 
of  demonstration  or  organization.  The  Hughes  County  agent  re- 
]:)orts  the  following  schedule:  fifty  days  on  animal  disease,  thirty- 
seven  and  one-half  days  on  boys'  and  girls'  club  work,  thirty-seven 
days  on  organization,  twenty-three  days  on  marketing  and  116  days 
on  miscellaneous  work. 

Sheridan  and  Union  have  Home  Demonstration  agents,  energetic 
women,  who  go  out  over  the  county  organizing  groups  of  women 
and  giving  demonstrations  and  talks.     Some  of  their  achievements 

■1-2 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES- 

in  Sheridan  County  may  be  cited.  Hot  lunches  were  estabHshed 
in  six  rural  schools  in  cooperation  with  the  Public  Health  Nurse ; 
some  phase  of  health  work  was  carried  on  in  four  communities 
and  in  Sheridan  City  schools  a  clothing  school  was  held ;  200  women 
were  taught  the  Cold  Pack  method  of  canning;  four  home  con- 
venience demonstrations  were  given ;  five  pressure  cookers  were 
purchased;  twenty-five  flocks  were  culled;  twelve  American  cheese 
demonstrations  were  given,  and  500  povmds  of  cheese  made. 

Boys'  and  girls'  club  work  is  carried  on  in  every  county  except 
Beaverhead.  The  boys  and  girls  all  over  the  county  are  organized 
into  clubs  and  work  on  various  kinds  of  projects.  Union  County's 
record  for  1920  is  notable : 


Kind  of  Club                               Total  Membership         Value  of  Products,  1920 

Pig  Club    83  $8,107.00 

Calf    Club    39  1,568.00 

Poultry  Club 30  367.00 

Cooking    "      36  220.00 

Serving     " 36  310.00 

Bean          " 13  165.60 

Maize        " 10  120.00 

Corn          " 25  1,765.00 


Total  272  $11,622.60 

Pure-bred  hogs  and  cattle  owned  by  boys  and  girls  are  sold 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Farm  Bureau.  Prizes  are  ofifered.  In 
Sheridan  County,  the  county  club  champions  are  sent  to  the  "An- 
nual Round-up"  at  the  State  University.  In  Hughes,  three  teams 
of  three  members  each  were  given  a  free  trip  to  the  State  Fair 
as  a  reward  for  their  efiforts  and  achievements.  One  member  of 
the  Cow-Calf  Club  won  a  free  trip  to  the  International  Live  Stock 
Show  in  Chicago  as  a  prize  for  his  exhibit  at  the  State  Fair. 


Development  of  Cooperation 

Irrigation  means  cooperation,  but  cooperation  in  buying  and 
marketing  is  comparatively  a  new  development.  Cooperation,  how- 
ever, is  a  necessity  because  so  many  farmers  are  distant  from  the 
trade  centers  and  shipping  points.  CooperatTon  is  the  prime  in- 
terest of  the  Farm  Bureaus  which,  in  some  counties,  undertake 
cooperative  buying  and  selling.  The  Hughes  County  Farm  Bureau 
has  been  especially  effective  in  promoting  cooperative  enterprise. 
Says  the  County  Agent : 

43 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

The  Medicine  Valley  Farm  Bureau  has  done  considerable  work  along 
different  lines,  but  the  most  outstanding  has  been  the  promotion  of  a 
Farmers'  Cooperative  Elevator.  Most  of  the  stock  in  this  enterprise  has 
been  sold  and  work  will  be  started  very  soon  on  the  building.  .  .  .  The 
Harrold  Live  Stock  Shipping  Association  was  promoted  by  the  Farm  Bureau 
Community  Club  south  of  Harrold.  Several  meetings  were  held  by  this 
club  on  marketing.  Members  were  supplied  with  cooperative  shipping  instruc- 
tions and  information.  At  the  present  time,  most  of  the  stock  shipped  out 
of  Harrold  is  shipped  through  this  organization.  It  has  proved  a  success. 
This  community  club  was  also  instrumental  in  the  promotion  of  a  coopera- 
tive elevator  at  Harrold  ...  in  addition  to  the  organization  projects  on 
marketing,  considerable  buying  and  selling  in  car-load  lots  has  been  done 
by  the  different  Farm  Bureau  Community  Clubs.  The  Snake  Butte  Com- 
munity Club  has  bought  four  car-loads  of  coal  for  its  members,  with  a 
saving  of  at  least  $200.     They  have  also  bought  a  car  of  flour,   a   car   of 


A  TRUCK   FARM   IN    HUGHES   COUNTY 

apples  and  a  car  of  fence  posts,  all  of  which  has  effected  a  saving  of  another 
$200.  Three  other  community  clubs  have  bought  supplies  by  the  car-load. 
These  purchases  have  netted  members  of  the  county  a  saving  of  approxi- 
mately si.x  hundred  dollars.  .  .  .  (The  Farm  Bureau  through  its  exchange 
service  has  located  4,550  bushels  of  seed  flax,  495  pounds  of  Grimm  alfalfa 
seed,  200  bushels  of  seed  wheat,  100  bushels  of  rye  and  800  bushels  of  seed 
corn.)  One  thousand,  six  hundred  and  eighty-five  pounds  of  wool  was  also 
directed  to  the  state  pool  of  the  National  Wool  Warehouse  and  Storage 
Company  at  Chicago,  Illinois. 


Beaverhead  County  has  three  active  stock-growers'  associations, 
the  most  active  of  which  is  the  Big  Hole  Stockmen's  Association 
which  estahHshed  stock  yards  at  Wisdom  and  at  Divide,  their 
shipping  point.  They  finally  induced  the  railroad  to  help  pay  for 
the  yards.  This  association  was  founded  chiefly  to  w(M-k  for  a 
road  from  the  Big  Hole  over  into  the  Bitter  Root  \^allcy.  The 
Forest  Service  was  willing  to  help  huild   the  road  if   Beaverhead 

41 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES 

and  Ravalli  Counties  would  also  help.  Beaverhead  County  did 
not  favor  the  project  because  it  feared  competition  from  the  Bitter 
Root  products.  But  the  Big  Hole  Valley  wanted  the  road  on  account 
of  the  business  it  would  bring  in.  The  Stockmen's  Association  raised 
about  $7,000  towards  it  and  the  county  finally  put  in  $3,500.  Be- 
sides their  contribution  of  money,  the  members  of  the  Association 
donated  time  and  teams.  One  reason  why  they  have  held  together 
so  well  and  so  long  was  because  they  shared  the  debt.  It  has  been 
hard  sledding,  but  they  have   won  out.     Their  wage  scale,   which 


4 


FRUITS    OF    THE    EARTH 
The    Community    spirit    expresses    itself    in    friendly    rivalry    at    Union    County    Fair. 

is  established  annually,  was  successfully  operated  for  the  first  time 
last  year  (1921),  when  all  but  two  ranchers  stuck  to  the  prescribed 
wage  of  $2.00  per  day  for  hay  hands.  They  have  fixed  up  the  Fair 
Grounds  at  Wisdom  and  give  a  Pow-wow  there  every  year. 

Largely  through  the  influence  of  the  Farm  Bureau,  two  co- 
operative organizations  were  recently  started  in  Union  County,  the 
Union  County  Farmers'  Mutual  Hail  Insurance  Association  and 
the  Registered  Live  Stock  and  Pure  Bred  Poultry  Association. 
There  is  only  one  other  active  cooperative  at  present,  a  Telephone 
Company  at  Mount  Dora,  capitalized  at  $3,000.  A  state-wide 
marketing  association  has  280  L^nion  County  members  who  pro- 
duced in  1920  one-third  of  all  the  products  marketed  through  the 

45 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

organization.      Besides  the  marketing  associations,   Hughes   has   a 
cooperative  Farmers'  Lumher  Company. 

All  these  counties  have  cooperative  stores.  A  cooperative  store 
in  \\'isdom  in  Beaverhead  County  has  fifty  stockholders.  Lima 
had  a  cooperative  store  in  1919-1920  which  failed  through  poor  man- 
agement. Two  Rochdale  Cooperative  stores  were  started  three 
years  ago  in  Ulm  and  Clearmont  in  Sheridan  County.  When  the 
central  organization  took  the  surplus  earnings  of  the  branch  stores 
to  make  up  failures  in  other  stores  in  the  chain  instead  of  declaring 
dividends,  both  the  Sheridan  County  stores  withdrew  and  organized 
cooperatives  of  their  own  in  March,  1921.  Sheridan  City  for  the 
past  eight  years  has  had  a  cooperative  store  in  which  ranchers 
and  farmers  from  nearby  communities  have  most  of  the  shares. 
There  is  also  a  Miners'  Store  in  Sheridan  City.  Hughes  County 
has  one  cooperative  store  with  150  stockholders. 

Urban  and  Rural  Rivalry 

All  the  centers  are  service  stations  for  the  farmers.  In  some 
places  the  old,  deep-seated  antagonism  between  town  and  country 
is  noticeable.  There  is  the  feeling  that  the  merchants  overcharge, 
that  big  business  sets  the  prices,  that  capital  is  to  be  distrusted. 
Most  of  the  merchants  have  been  of  the  old  individualistic  type 
which  places  the  dollar  higher  than  the  community,  an  idea  which 
the  Commercial  Clubs  are  altering.  This  is  especially  noticeable 
in  Union  County,  where  the  feeling  between  country  and  town 
has  been  very  bitter.  The  farmers  unfortunately  are  unfriendly 
to  and  distrustful  of  the  merchants  and  business  men.  Each  group 
is  really  interdependent,  but  such  a  feeling  retards  progress  and 
development.  As  one  leading  farmer  put  it,  "The  prejudice  between 
the  farmer  and  business  man  must  be  overcome.  There  is  no  limit 
to  the  results  if  we  can  just  get  together." 

The  farmers  feel  that  the  average  merchant  in  buying  farm 
products  has  not  discriminated  between  a  good  and  a  bad  product 
so  far  as  price  goes.  In  short,  the  honest  farmer  does  not  want 
to  sell  bad  eggs  or  sandy  maize,  but  he  doesn't  like  to  get  a  poor 
price  for  a  good  product.  Farmers  feel  that  the  merchants  have 
overcharged  them  for  goods  and  obtained  high  profits  and  they 
are  undoubtedly  right  to  some  extent.  The  farmers  believe  that 
the  fact  of  their  charging  goods  on  credit  witli  the  merchant  gives 
the  latter  an  unfair  advantage  over  them,  that  the  merchant  thinks 
he  can  pay  any  ]:)rice  he  wants  when  purchasing  from  the  farmer. 

46 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES 

Chambers  of  Commerce  and  Commercial  Clubs  are  working 
toward  a  better  understanding.  Get-together  meetings  have  been 
started.  The  first  Union  County  meeting  prepared  the  farmers  by 
letters  and  visits,  in  order  to  suggest  a  more  friendly  and  con- 
structive meeting  ground.  In  Sheridan  and  Pierre,  the  Commercial 
Clubs  have  been  very  ready  to  cooperate  in  any  movements  that 
wouM  benefit  the  farmer.  An  example  of  happier  relations  between 
farmer  and  merchant  is  the  rest  room  for  farmers'  wives  maintained 
in  Dillon  by  the   Good  Government   Club. 


UP-TO-DATE   REAPING   ON    THE    PLAINS 
Answering    the    World's    Prayer    for    Daily    Bread. 


Hard  Times 


In  the  history  of  this  Range  area  the  last  three  years  have 
been  the  most  difiicult  for  farmers  and  ranchers.  They  have  suf- 
fered acutely  from  the  sharp  drop  in  prices  of  stock  and  farm 
products.  Part  of  the  Range  section  has  had  a  severe  drouth. 
Beaverhead  has  had  several  dry  years.  Last  year  (1921),  thousands 
of  dollars'  worth  of  hay  had  to  be  shipped  into  the  county  as 
feed,  and  much  livestock  had  to  be  sent  out  of  the  county  to 
graze.  In  addition  to  drouth,  grasshoppers,  fairly  plentiful  before, 
became  a  scourge  in  part  of  Sheridan  the  summer  of  1921.  The 
farmers,  helped  by  the  Farm  Bureau,  worked  hard  to  exterminate 
them  with  poisoned  oats.  Simultaneously  with  the  drouth  and 
grasshopper  scourge  in  certain  sections,  the  decrease  in  prices  has 

47 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

led  to  hard  times  and  much  suffering.  Whereas  a  rancher  was 
"well  off"  a  few  years  ago,  he  now  considers  himself  lucky  if  he 
is  "in  the  hole"  for  only  a  few  thousand.  The  farmers  are  hitter. 
They  feci  that  something  is  wrong  with  the  "system."  One  can 
hardly  blame  them  when  crops  bring  no  profit,  while  taxes  seem 
to  be  higher  than  ever.  The  hard  times  have  made  ranchers  and 
farmers  do  more  serious  thinking  about  taxes,  farm  conditions, 
and  the  marketing  of  farm  products  than  they  have  ever  done 
before. 

E.  T.  Devine,  writing  on  "Montana  Farmers"  in  TJic  Sun^cy 
Magaciiic,  gives  the  farmers'  position : 

Af ontana  farmers  are  much  like  other  American  producers,  urban  and  rural, 
but  they  are  even  harder  hit  than  most  of  their  fellow  countrymen,  except, 
of  course,  unemployed  town  workers.  They  share  in  the  general  calamity 
of  relatively  low  prices  for  agricultural  products  and  they  have  also  just 
passed  through  several  years  of  unprecedented  drouth.  Freight  rates  are 
high  and  burdensome,  and  the  things  the  farmers  have  to  buy  are  still  high 
in  proportion  to  the  prices  which  they  get  for  their  grain  and  stock.  These 
farm.ers  are  therefore  in  debt,  and  are  borrowing  more  than  they  can. 
They  are  actually  and  not  merely  in  a  chronically  distorted  imagination, 
having  difficulty  in  paying  their  interest  and  taxes;  and  if  their  equity  is 
small  they  are  losing  it.  .  .  .  The  farmers  are  not  seeking  fundamental  or 
permanent  solutions.  What  concerns  them  is  to  get  immediate  and  ap- 
preciable relief  from  taxes. 

Hard  times,  as  in  Union  County,  usually  strike  our  best  assets. 
The  county  first  had  a  County  Agent  in  1915,  a  Home  Demonstra- 
tion Agent  in  1917,  and  Assistant  County  Agent  in  1918  and  a 
Club  Leader  in  1918.  Unfortunately,  the  hard  times  forced  upon 
the  country  a  program  of  retrenchment.  In  1920  the  Assistant 
County  Agent  and,  early  in  1921,  the  Club  Leader  were  removed. 
At  present,  there  is  a  determined  effort  in  some  quarters  to  dispense 
with  the  other  two  workers. 


Social  Agencies 

Country  folk  keep  track  of  things.  County  papers  as  well  as 
outside  newspapers  are  read  in  all  communities.  These  outside 
newspa])ers  come  from  Denver,  Kansas  City,  Butte  or  Omaha, 
depending  upon  location.  Four  newspapers  are  published  in  Beaver- 
head, two  in  the  county  seat,  and  one  in  each  of  the  two  villages. 
Rural  Sheridan  prints  but  one  newspaper,  71ic  Tongue  Rhcr  Nc%vs, 
at  Ranchester.  Two  dailies  are  published  in  Sheridan  City.  Three 
communities  in  Union,  and  three  in  Hughes  County,  ]Mtblish  their 
own  papers.  The  town  of  Clayton  has  the  Exa^niucr  and  the 
Tribune,   as   well   as   a   paper   printed    in    Spanish.      Grenville   and 

48 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES 

Des  Moines,  two  villages  in  Union,  also  have  local  papers.  In 
Hughes  County,  Pierre  has  two  papers,  and  Blunt  and  Harrold 
one  each.  The  editors  are  almost  all  progressive  and  up-to-date, 
and  vitally  interested  in  the  welfare  of  their  communities. 

More  and  better  libraries  are  an  urgent  need  of  all  these  counties. 
Sheridan,  Pierre  and  Dillon  all  have  splendid  Carnegie  libraries. 
The  majority  of  the  schools  have  small  school  libraries.  But  there 
is  only  one  public  library  in  Beaverhead  County,  besides  that  in 
Dillon,  in  the  community  house  of  Wisdom  village.     Sheridan  has 

^ ■'"W'^mam 


WISDOM    IS    JUSTIFIED 
The  Community  House  at  \\'isdom,   Beaverhead   County. 

no  Other  library  in  the  whole  county.  The  only  libraries  in  Union 
County  are  a  collection  of  books  for  public  use  in  the  office  of  a 
village  lumber  yard  and  a  small  travelling  library.  Hughes  County 
has  a  town  library  and  three  circulating  libraries. 

Good  leadership  is  always  essential  to  progress.  Every  one  of 
these  counties  is  fortunate  in  having  some  splendid  county-wide 
leaders  who  are  devoting  themselves  to  their  county's  progress. 
Wherever  a  county  has  a  Farm  Bureau,  leadership  is  developed  by 
that  organization.  But  in  rural  sections  where  distances  prevent 
people  from  coming  together,  leadership  is  wanting.  Each  ranch 
is  a  small  isolated  world  and  by  the  very  nature  of  things  there 
are  few  community  undertakings.  The  development  of  local  lead- 
ership, especially  in  remote  sections,  should  become  the  concern 
of  this  country.  As  Hart  says  in  his  book,  "Community  Organiza- 
tion," "the  destiny  of  civilization  is  wrapped  up  in  the  future  of 

49 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

community  life.  If  that  life  becomes  intelligent,  richly  developed, 
democratically  organized,  socially  controlled — the  future  of  civiliza- 
tion is  secure.  .  .  .  The  determination  is  largely  one  of  leadership." 


Community  Spirit 

Red  Cross  work,  during  the  war,  did  a  great  deal  toward  bring- 
ing about  a  unified  spirit.  The  Farm  Bureau  is  working  in  tliis 
direction.  When  real  needs  arise,  a  community  spirit  is  born,  and 
unsuspected  qualities  of  loyalty,  cooperation  and  leadership  develop, 
as  happened  in  one  community  in  Sheridan  County,  when  that  com- 
munity wanted  the  State  highway :  they  canvassed  every  load  of 
wheat  that  went  to  Sheridan  City  from  their  community  to  show 
how  much  their  road  was  used.  Another  splendid  example  of  com- 
munity spirit  was  the  pageant  staged  by  Armstead  Community, 
in  Beaverhead  County,  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  Expedition.  Every  one  in  the  community,  even  the 
babies  as  Indian  papooses,  took  part.  About  half  of  all  the  com- 
munities have  a  real  ccmmunity  spirit,  i.e.,  a  willingness  on  the 
part  of  the  people  to  work  unselfishly,  cooperatively,  for  the  best 
interests  of  the  community.  This  spirit,  fostered  by  the  Farm 
Bureau  or  by  war  work,  has  directed  communities  to  concern 
themselves  with  their  roads,  schools,  methods  of  farming  and  the 
creation  and  strengthening  of  all  community  bonds  and  interests. 

The  results  of  this  spirit  are  shown  in  social  and  educative 
agencies  like  Lodges  and  the  local  branches  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 
Of  the  sixty-eight  Lodges  only  seventeen  are  for  women,  and  their 
total  enrollment  is  about  7,000  members.  While  women  have  fewer 
Lodges  their  attendance  is  more  enthusiastic  and  regular  than  in 
the  case  of  the  men.  There  are  Commercial  Clubs  in  the  city  and 
towns,  and  in  a  number  of  the  villages.  The  American  Legion  has 
five  branches  in  the  four  counties.  Eight  communities  have  Literary 
Societies  meeting  regularly.  Then  there  are  the  many  clubs  and 
societies  which  are  purely  social.  These  include  sewing  clubs,  card 
clubs,  athletic  clubs  and  similar  organizations  which  are  found  in 
the  city  and  towns,  and  in  about  one-third  of  the  other  communi- 
ties. There  are  musical  organizations  in  seven  communities,  and 
four  communities  have  community  singing.  These  organizations, 
together  with  the  schools  and  churches,  give  the  inspiration  for 
most  of  the  social  life. 


50 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES 


^  »4  ^  f^ 


%^ 


CAMPING    IN    SHERIDAN    COUNTY 
The  colored  cook,  at  least,   seems  to  delight  in  her  surroundings. 


51 


THE   CHURCH  ON   THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 
"Movies,"  Motors  and  the  Dance 

All  the  larger  centers  have  moving-picture  theatres.  With  the 
coming  of  the  "movie,"  and  the  general  ownership  of  cars,  there 
is  a  growing  tendency  to  go  into  the  centers  for  amusement.  Danc- 
ing is  the  most  popular  recreation.  If  an  event  is  really  a  success, 
it  ends  with  a  dance.  In  many  communities  a  dance  is  the  only 
thing  that  will  "go."  One  reason  for  this  is  the  lack  of  leadership ; 
a  dance  needs  no  planning  to  speak  of,  which  is  not  the  case  with 
other  forms  of  indoor  recreation.  Dances  attract  people  from  great 
distances  and  are  generally  held  on  Saturday  night,  lasting  until 
Sunday  morning,  with  a  feast  at  midnight.  Perhaps  the  Farm 
Bureau  has  an  exhibition  during  the  day,  and  there  is  a  com- 
munity dance  in  the  evening.  It  is  held  in  the  hall  over  the  pool- 
room. An  orchestra  of  three  army  veterans  plays  good  lively  jazz. 
The  latest  tunes  and  dances  of  the  city  are  as  familiar  in  these 
remote  communities  as  are  the  latest  modes  and  fashions.  Xo 
country  square  dances  here ;  nothing  older  than  the  very  latest 
dancing,  and  the  most  modern  of  ear-capped  coififures !  Whole 
families  attend,  and  parents  take  the  floor  along  with  the  young 
folks.  There  is  a  great  friendliness.  The  young  men  are  well 
set-up,  muscular  and  tanned,  and  some  of  them  even  wear  spurs 
which  clink  together  as  they  dance.  Feminine  noses  are  not  as 
white  as  they  might  be,  though  powder  puffs  are  here,  very  properly 
concealed.  Most  of  these  girls  ride  horseback  as  well  as  their 
brothers,  and  both  young  women  and  men,  with  their  athletic  supple 
figures,  their  innate  sense  of  grace  and  rhythm,  might  put  to  shame 
our  tired,  ansemic  city  dancers.  At  midnight,  there  is  a  supper  of 
fried  chicken,  sandwiches  and  real  cake  brought  a  few  dozen  miles 
more  or  less  by  team  or  car.  Everything  tastes  good  because  it  is 
made  at  home.  Afterwards,  the  tireless  feet  continue  the  intricate, 
graceful  measures.  But  outside  the  brightly  lighted  hall,  and  be- 
yond the  sound  of  laughter  and  music  broods  the  silent,  mysterious 
night  of  a  spacious  country.  How  many  city  dancers  know^  the 
homeward  drive  through  a  big  country,  the  moon  perhaps  lighting 
the  river,  the  contours  of  plain  and  butte,  and  the  sleeping  hamlets? 

The  most  popular  forms  of  outdoor  recreation  are  the  com- 
munity barbecues,  frontier  days  and  pow-wows.  Only  those  who 
live  this  free,  healthy  life  in  the  heart  of  nature  have  appetites 
worthy  of  a  barbecue.  At  noon  the  delicious  beef,  roasted  all 
night  over  a  deep  trough  of  coals,  and  basted  with  real  butter, 
is  a  social  meal  that  many  of   us  envy.     There  are   frontier  tield 


ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  TENDENCIES 

days  with  sports  belonging  to  ranch  Hfe,  such  as  horse  racing  and 
broncho  busting.  The  day  usually  ends  with  a  big  dance.  Even 
the  "dude"  ranches  in  Sheridan  hold  Frontier  days,  and  great  events 
they  are,  too.  with  many  spectators.  In  sections  of  Sheridan  and 
Union  Counties,  but  especially  in  Beaverhead,  there  is  the  beauty 


The   Barbecue 


FRONTIER    CELEBRATION 


:in   institutim  typical   of  the   Range   Country   and 
frc  m   far  and  near. 


attended   by  settlers 


of  the  country  which  furnishes  recreation  in  itself.  Nature  has 
lavished  upon  them  every  gift  of  line  and  color.  The  mountains 
and  the  streams,  the  woods  and  the  canyons,  hold  a  hundred  de- 
lightful possibilities  that  are  within  the  reach  of  almost  every  one. 
It  is  a  playground  as  varied  as  it  is  perfect.  On  Saturdays  and 
Sundays  in  the  summer,  car  after  car,  packed  with  camp  equipment 
and  home-made  delicacies,  head  for  the  health-giving  hills  and 
mountains. 


0  I  2 


KEY    AND    SYMBOLS 


g>^' 


•  Par.,*    Bo, 


S  Ch-r.h.C.lo-.J 


CHURCH  AXD  commuxitv  mai  of 


54 


HUGHES   COUNTY,    SOUTH    DAKOTA 


55 


CHAPTER  III 

What  of  the  Church? 

WHAT  country  landscape  is  complete  without  the  church 
spires?  hi  this  spacious  western  region,  in  the  heart  of 
awe-inspiring  natural  scenery,  the  church  spires  are  guide- 
posts  to  almost  50,000  people.  This  land  is  new.  It  has  been 
the  changing  frontier.  Tremendous  developments  have  been  in 
process.  The  country  is  in  a  transition  stage  between  the  stock- 
raising  ])ast  and  the  agricultural  future.  Population  has  increased 
rapidly  ;  population  has  been  shifting.  The  whole  background  has 
been  kaleidoscopic.  The  Church  has  faced  bewildering  changes 
and  growth.  The  burden  of  increasing  its  service  and  equipment 
has  been  heavy ;  it  has  not  been  able  to  "keep  up"  with  the  pace 
of  civilization. 

The  story  of  early  church  growth  in  the  cowboy  country  is 
one  inspiring  loyalty  since  it  eloquently  traces  the  faithfulness  of 
a  few  in  a  country  where  God  was  easily  forgotten.  One  of  the 
first  things  to  be  read  of  rough-and-ready  Bannock,  among  the 
earliest  mining  towns  on  the  Range,  is  that  church  services  were 
held  there.  The  Church  migrated  with  its  congregations.  Mission- 
aries from  the  East  came  through  with  the  fur  trappers  and 
preached  the  word  of  God.  When  the  land  began  to  be  taken  up 
by  settlers,  impromptu  meetings  were  held,  and  Sunday  schools 
were  started  in  many  places  which  had  no  ministers.  Some  of  these 
points  of  worship  gradually  developed  into  organized  religious  bodies 
so  that  at  present  there  are  churches  which  have  grown  up  with 
the   country. 

A  Difficult  Field 

The  Church  in  this  frontier  country  has  always  faced  great 
difficulties.  Chiefly,  there  is  the  vast  area  of  it,  with  a  scattered 
and  transient  population.  Homesteaders  are  a  restless,  uncertain, 
human  quantity.  Some  are  engrossed  in  getting  a  start.  Others 
move  on  as  soon  as  they  have  "proved  up"  on  their  claims.  .All 
are  poor;  there  is  always  an  economic  struggle  going  on.  The  old 
frontier  spirit  of  "let  have  and  let  be"  survives  from  the  cowbov 

56 


WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCH? 

days.  This  free  and  easy  spirit  says:  "Boys  drinking? — well,  boys 
have  to  have  their  good  times.  Streets  weedy? — well,  they  might 
be  worse."  The  same  spirit  says:  "No  churches? — well,  we're  just 
as  well  off  and  our  money  is  better  in  the  bank  than  paying  for 
a  minister  who  never  gets  out  and  does  an  honest  day's  work." 

"Good-bye,  God,  we're  going  to  Wyoming,"  said  a  little  Boston 
girl  as  the  family  was  starting  west.  This  typifies  what  happened 
as  people  from  the  East  and  Middle  West  moved  out  to  the  frontier. 
In  the  desperate  struggle  for  existence  homesteaders  had  little 
time  for  Christian  enterprise.     Because  of  the  great  distances  and 


A   VOICE   IN   THE   WILDERNESS 
The   M.    E.    Church   at   Mcsquero,    Union    County,    N.   M. 

scattered  population,  adequate  church  ministry  has  been  difficult 
if  not  impossible.  People  had  for  so  long  lived  without  a  church 
that  indifference  developed.  The  longer  they  stayed  the  less  they 
took  the  church  for  granted.  The  older  the  section,  one  finds 
to-day,  the  less  likely  it  is  to  want  church  ministry.  Newer  home- 
steaders, recently  come  from  other  parts  of  the  country  where 
the  church  was  more  available,  are  more  eager  for  church  and 
Sunday   school. 

Development  and  Distribution 

The  differences  in  religious  development  and  psychology  accord- 
ing to  the  time  of  settlement  are  well  illustrated  by  these  counties. 
Generally  speaking,  Beaverhead  grew  up  before  the  Church  had 

57 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

made  much  headway.  It  is  conservative.  The  general  attitude 
is  the  wary  one  of  "Let  the  Church  alone."  Men  class  churches 
among  those  feminine  luxuries  with  which  a  real,  red-blooded  man 
has  little  to  do.  On  the  other  hand,  Union,  the  most  recently  de- 
veloped county  of  the  four,  still  has  a  marked  "church  conscious- 
ness." The  majority  of  the  people  have  not  yet  broken  with  the 
habits  and  customs  of  the  more  closely  settled  and  churched  Middle 
West  from  which  they  came.  The  other  two  counties  combine 
these  two  conditions.  Part  of  Sheridan  is  like  Union,  a  region 
newly  homesteaded.     Part  of  it  is  like  Beaverhead,  old  and  settled 


The    Presbyterian    Church    at    ]*.Ielrose,    Montana,    and    its    next-door   neighbor,    a    deserted 

saloon. 

with   frontier  habits.     Hughes,  on  the  threshold  of  the  West,   re- 
tains the   frontier  sentiment  of  all   the   other  counties. 

Church  work  has  been  going  on  in  these  counties  since  1867. 
when  Protestant  work  was  started  at  Bannock,  in  Beaverhead 
County.  Churches  were  organized  in  the  other  counties  in  suc- 
ceeding decades.  The  first  Protestant  church  was  organized  in 
TTughes  between  1870  and  1880,  in  Sheridan  and  Union  Counties 
between  1880  and  1890.  In  this  comparatively  short  time,  some 
churches  have  gone  under.  Beaverhead  has  had  nine  Protestant 
churches,  of  which  six  are  now  active.  One  church,  located  just 
outside  the  border  of  the  county  in  Melrose,  a  small  hamlet,  is 
included  in  this  re])ort.  Dillon,  the  county  seat,  has  four  churches, 
or  one  Protestant  church   for  about  every  675   persons.     Outside 


WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCH? 


s 

I 


,     /        L J 


^*\. 


y 


/I  \^A  [:zJr^~  /    ^ 


'•TAD^Zyj 


COMMUNITY    MAP    OF    SHERIDAN    COUNTY,    WYOMl 


k. 


•\-r-. 


Par.sh    Boundoru 


KEY    /^ND     SYMBOLS 


3   Church -Col 


S>fi 


,t  Church-IVhrfe 
■  Church-Colored 
nature  Church 


MAP   SHOWING   CHURCHES   AND   PARISH    BOUNDARIES   OF   SHERIDAN   COUNTY 


59 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


W''-r'^ 


"  ""~~~*N»ighborhood  Boundary 

Parish    Bcuxdc'f 

\q  PorfshA    Church  Connrct'nj 

'^  CircuU   of    Po.tor 


KEY    AND       SYMBOLS 


®  Town.  o«.r  5.000 

□    Church  -Wh.'t. 
I    Church  -C.l.r.d 

S  Church -WhUe  »ith  Posfori  Rt„ 
3  Church -Colored. whh  Pa.torj  R>i 


^>^ 


Clreuit 


4  Poster-,  Rfjldcnco  »;fhout  Churth-lV> 
4  Postor  J  Rtjidtnct  w;th»ut  Chureh-Celo 
■  Abondoncd  Church.  3  Inodi.e  Ch. 
E  Sundo,  School  without  Church  -Whit, 
El  Sundoij  School  without  Church  -  Colorec 
n  Church  uS.og  School     Sld^ 


CHURCH   AND   COMMUNITY    MAP   OF   BEAVERHEAD   COUNTY 


60 


Count,   Boundorj 

.M.— Community    Boundory 

- ------Nvtghborhood   Boundary 

Parish    Boundory 

Poruh*  Church  CSnntct.nj  t.« 

Cu-cu.t  of   Posto' 


KEY    A>-D    SYMBOLS 


®  Town -over  5.000 
D  Church  -White 
8   Church -Colored 

6  Churth- White  with  Postor'j  Residence 
S  Church -Colored.with  Poifori  Relideiico 


g>6> 


Postor-j   Residence  mthout  Churchlthitc 
4  Posters  Residence  vrithout  Church-Colored 
■  Abandoned   Church.     B  Inacli.e  Chunh 
Church  -White 
Church -Colored 


(S  Sundai^  School  » 
gj  Sundoy  School  * 
$  Church  ueing  School    Bldj. 


MXP    SHOWING    CHURCHES    AND    PARISH   BOUNDARIES 
OF  UNION  COUNTY,   NEW   MEXICO 

61 


/ 


\ 


\ 


r~z:^^f^-~^:rzz: i 

A       I      1 \ 

5^D!IS     MOlMu.S         y  /     \       __i 

.^^^       /  / 

V  V  Crr//ic,V/civ 

>x     \  '^^^'^    I       Op.,/,,,,  /   Yayto 

i   -^  ""n  y  «  i 


-J 


/eyeros 


^Albert 


7i;)Aa/<V7  0         O 


I    Cone  \ 

\         Roicbui. 


Ami^iad    ' 


\ 


\ 


■gos 


COMMUXnV    MAI-   OF    UNION    COUNTY,    NICW    MEXICO 

62 


WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCH? 

Dillon,  the  habitable  rural  area  of  the  county  has  two  Protestant 
churches,  or  one  church  for  about  every  1,800  square  miles  and 
for  about  every  2,300  persons.  Roman  Catholics  have  two  organized 
churches  in  the  county.  Mormons  have  one  active  and  one  inactive 
church,  and  there  is  one  Christian  Science  church. 

Sixteen  Protestant  churches  have  been  organized  in  Hughes 
County,  all  but  one  of  which  are  now  active.  Pierre,  the  county 
seat,  with  six  of  the  churches,  has  a  Protestant  church  for  about 
every  535  people.  Outside  Pierre  and  the  section  occupied  by  the 
Crow  Creek  Indian  Reservation,  the  rural  area  of  the  county  has 
one  Protestant  church  for  about  every  seventy-three  square  miles, 
and  for  every  300  persons.  There  are  three  Catholic  churches  out- 
side the  Indian  Reservation. 

Sheridan  County  has  had  twenty-two  Protestant  churches,  of 
which  seventeen  are  now  active  and  two  are  inactive.  The  city 
of  Sheridan  has  nine  Protestant  churches,  one  church  for  about 
every  1.020  persons;  outside  Sheridan,  the  habitable  area  of  the 
county  has  one  Protestant  church  for  about  every  220  square  miles, 
and  for  about  every  1,130  persons.  The  county  has  live  Catholic 
churches,  a  Mormon,  a  Christian  Science,  and  a  Theosophical  or- 
ganization. 

The  newest  county  of  the  four  has  the  most  churches.  Thirty- 
nine  Protestant  churches  have  been  organized  in  Union  County, 
thirty-one  of  which  are  now  active.  Clayton,  the  county  seat,  has 
four  churches,  one  for  about  every  625  persons;  outside  Clayton, 
the  rural  area  of  the  county  has  one  Protestant  church  for  about 
every  280  square  miles  and  for  about  every  525  persons.  There 
are  five  organized  Catholic  churches. 

The  four  counties  now  have  a  total  of  seventy  active  Protestant 
churches  representing  eleven  different  denominations,  but  there  is 
an  acute  need  of  a  more  strategic  distribution.  Churches  located 
in  the  city  of  Sheridan  will  henceforth  be  referred  to  as  "city" 
churches ;  churches  located  in  the  towns  of  Dillon,  Pierre  and 
Clayton  will  be  referred  to  as  "town"  churches ;  those  located 
in  villages,  a  classification  applying  to  all  centers  with  a  population 
of  250  to  2,500,  will  be  referred  to  as  "village"  churches  ;  and  those 
located  in  hamlets  of  less  than  250  population  or  the  open  country 
will  be  known  as  "country"  churches.  Classified  in  this  way,  nine, 
or  13  per  cent,  of  the  total,  are  "city"  churches;  thirteen,  or  19 
per  cent.,  are  "town"  churches;  fourteen,  or  20  per  cent.,  are 
"village"  churches,  and  thirty-four,  or  48  per  cent.,  are  "country" 

63 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

churches.      Other   than    Protestant    churches    will   be    discussed    in 
a  separate  chapter. 

God's  Houses 

A  live  church  organization  should  have  a  building  of  its  own. 
It  is  hard,  indeed,  to  preach  the  reality  of  religion  without  a  visible 
house  of  God.  Yet  nearly  one-third  of  the  organizations  have  no 
buildings  and  must  depend  on  school  houses,  homes  or  depots. 
Some  of   these  churches,  located  in  strategic  places,   acutely  need 


EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    AND    PARISH    HOUSE 
Beaverhead    County,   Montana. 

buildings  and  equipment  if  they  are  to  hold  their  own  in  the  future. 
For  others,  however,  the  possession  of  buildings  would  be  a  tragedy, 
since  they  would  thus  become  assured  of  a  permanency  which  is 
not  justified.  All  the  city  and  town  churches  have  buildings,  as 
well  as  twelve  of  the  fourteen  village,  and  fifteen  of  the  thirty-four 
country,  churches.  In  addition,  two  inactive  organizations  have 
buildings  which  are  available  and  are  used  to  some  extent. 

The  majority  of  the  buildings  are  of  wood;  fourteen  are  of 
brick,  cement  or  adobe.  Unfortunately,  the  Range  has  no  typical 
pioneer  architecture  of  its  own.  Most  of  the  buildings  are  remi- 
niscent of  New  England  forbears.  Many  of  them  look  barren  and 
mikemjH.  Standing  forlorn  uj^jou  the  ]:)lains.  most  of  the  open 
counlrv  churches  are  unrelieved  by  any  sign  of  trees.  Little  or 
no  eiTort  has  been  made  to  make  them  attractive.     Thirty  buildings 

64 


WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCH? 

are  lighted  by  electricity.  Twenty-two  churches  are  of  the  usual 
one-room  type,  eleven  have  two-room  buildings,  four  have  three 
rooms,  three  have  five  rooms,  six  have  six  rooms  or  more.  A  few 
possess  special  facilities  for  social  purposes.  One  town  church 
has  a  parish  house.  Nine  have  extra  rooms  and  some  special 
equipment,  including  three  gymnasiums.  Stereopticon  outfits  have 
been  installed  in  one  city  and  in  two  town  churches.  One  other  town 
church  borrows  a  stereopticon  once  a  month  from  a  public  school, 
and  one  town  church  occasionally  borrows  the  county  moving-picture 
machine. 

A  new  kind  of  community  house  was  built  last  summer  by 
the  Sheridan  Presbyterian  Church.  It  is  a  summer  camp  on  a  moun- 
tain stream  not  far  from  the  Big  Horn  Mountains,  about  twenty 
miles  south  of  Sheridan.  The  building  is  used  for  kitchen,  dining 
room,  rest  room  and  general  headquarters.  Each  family  brings  its 
own  tent  when  using  the  camp.  The  purpose  is  to  make  it  a  place 
for  tired  people,  and  especially  for  those  who  have  no  cars  or 
other  means  of  taking  an  outing  during  some  part  of  the  hot 
weather.  The  community  idea  expresses  itself  in  a  plan  whereby 
those  owning  cars  shall  sometimes  transport  a  family  that  other- 
wise might  have  no  outing. 

Church  property  is  valued  at  $592,323,  and  it  is  noteworthv 
that  the  churches  have  acquired  property  of  such  value  in  so  short 
a  time.  The  fact  that  church  growth  is  a  present-day  phenomenon 
is  illustrated  by  the  two  splendid  buildings  erected  since  this  survey 
was  made,  and  the  preparations  for  a  third  which  will  cover  an 
entire  block.  The  highest  value  of  any  city  church  is  $70,000, 
of  any  town  church  $75,000,  of  any  village  church  $7,000  and  of 
any  country  church,  $4,000.  Twenty-eight  churches  have  par- 
sonages, their  total  valuation  amounting  to  $61,300,  or  an  average 
value  of  $2,189. 

About  one-third  of  the  churches  carry  some  indebtedness  on 
their  property.  Twenty-five  churches  report  a  total  debt  of  $57,695, 
of  which  amount  $28,500  was  borrowed  by  six  city  churches,  $21,700 
by  four  town  churches,  $2,905  by  five  village  churches  and  $4,590 
by  eight  country  churches.  The  money  was  spent  for  new  build- 
ings, new  parsonages,  repairs  and,  in  one  case,  for  a  garage  to 
hold  the  preacher's  Ford.  Curiously  enough,  instead  of  being  a 
hardship,  working  to  pay  ofi^  a  debt  often  brings  church  members 
together  into  a  unified  w^orking  group.  The  interest  paid  ranges 
from  4  to  8  per  cent. 

65 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHAXGIXG  FROXTIER 

Church  Membership 

Even  more  important  than  the  material  assets  of  the  churches 
are  their  human  assets — their  members.  The  total  number  enrolled 
in  Protestant  churches  in  the  four  counties  is  5, §20.  Active  mem- 
bers number  3,956,  or  68  per  cent.,  while  1,013,  or  17.4  per  cent., 


ANALYSIS  OF  PROTESTANT  CHURCH   MEMBERS 


TOTAL  ROLL 


RESIDENT  ROLL 


*  An  inactive  member  is  one  who   does  not 
attend  church  or  contribute  to  its  support 


are  classed  as  inactive,  i.e.,  they  neither  attend  church  services 
nor  contribute  to  church  support,  and  851,  or  14.6  per  cent.,  are 
non-resident.  The  country  and  city  churches  have  the  highest  pro- . 
portion  of  non-resident  members — 16.9  per  cent,  and  16.6  per  cent., 
respectively;  the  town  figure  is  next  at  11.7  per  cent.,  and  the  village 
percentage  is  9.83.  These  people  have  moved,  or  else  live  too 
far  away  to  come  to  church  services.  In  addition  to  the  enrolled 
membership,  there  are  member?  of  distant  churches  who  have  never 
transferred  to  local  churches.  They  are  scattered  through  all  these 
counties,  and  their  number  is,  of  course,  not  known  and  cannot 
be  estimated.  Some  may  have  been  asked  to  join  local  churches. 
but  it  is  certain  that  some  have  not,  and  that  no  one  knows  or 
seems  to  care  if  they  have  been  members  of  some  church  elsewhere. 
They  may  attend  local  churches  occasionally,  but  it  is  more  likely 
that  they  do  not.  Some  of  them  feel  like  the  little  hard-working 
ranch  lady  who  said,  "I  was  a  church  member  out  in  Iowa,  thirty- 
five  years  ago,  but  I've  never  done  lifted  by  letter  and  I've  been 
here  so  long  now,  I  guess  I  never  will." 

66 


WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCH  i 


The  Protestant  church  member  who  moves  away  is  not  followed 
up  by  his  church  as  a  general  thing.  This  is  partly  due  to  frequent 
ministerial  changes,  partly  to  the  lack  of  well-kept  church  records, 
and  partly  to  lack  of  interest.  Of  course,  the  fault  is  not  only 
with  the  churches  on  the  Range;  it  is  a  shortcoming  of  the  churches 
everywhere.  Since,  however,  a  transient  population  is  character- 
istic of  this  country,  it  would  seem  to  be  a  matter  of  prime  im- 
portance for  churches  to  keep  track  of  the  movements  of  their 
members.     This  matter  concerns  not  only  local  churches  and  their 


CHURCHES   GAINING  IN   MEMBERSHIP 


Per    Cent    Gaining 

20  40  60 


City  Churches 
Town   Churches 
Village  Churches 
Country  Churches 


denominations,  but  also  calls  for  cooperation  among  different  de- 
nominations. 

Most  of  the  churches  are  in  the  larger  centers.  Of  the  total 
resident  church  membership  nearly  43  per  cent,  belong  to  city 
churches,  28  per  cent,  to  town  churches,  11  per  cent,  to  village 
churches  and  only  15  per  cent,  to  country  churches.  As  the  center 
decreases  in  size,  the  more  it  draws  from  the  surrounding  country. 
Thus,  93  per  cent,  of  the  total  resident  families  of  city  churches 
live  in  the  city  and  7  per  cent,  live  outside ;  87  per  cent,  of  the 
total  resident  families  of  town  churches  live  in  the  town  and 
13  per  cent,  live  outside;  62  per  cent,  of  the  total  resident  families 
belonging  to  village  churches  live  in  villages  and  38  per  cent,  live 
outside. 

Somehow  the  Church  has  failed  to  appeal  to  the  men.  A 
prominent  man  who  never  came  to  church  in  one  of  the  towns 
in  the  counties  studied,  said  to  a  minister:  "Here  is  a  hundred 
dollars.  For  God's  sake,  don't  let  the  church  go  down !"  This 
man  realized  that  the  community  needed  the  church,  but  he  chose 

67 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

to  help  from  the  outside.  This  is  the  prevaiHng  attitude:  the  men 
are  not  antagonistic,  but  they  are  indifferent.  .Ml  the  counties 
have  a  higher  proportion  of  men  than  of  women  in  the  population; 
each  has  a  higher  proportion  of  women  than  men  in  the  church 
membership.  Beaverhead,  preponderant  by  58.3  per  cent,  in  males, 
has  the  lowest  proportion  of  adult  men  in  the  church  membership, 
23.8  per  cent.  Union  has  the  highest  proportion  of  men,  32.7 
per  cent.  For  all  the  churches  of  the  four  counties,  30.5  per  cent, 
of  all  church  members  are  males  over  twenty-one,  8.6  per  cent,  are 
males  under  twenty-one,  47.5  per  cent,  are  females  over  twenty- 
one  and  13.4  per  cent,  are  females  under  twenty-one. 

A  larger  proportion  of  young  people  are  enrolled  in  the  city 
and  town  churches  than  in  those  of  the  village  and  open  country. 
City  and  town  church  memberships  have  9  per  cent.  boys,  and 
14.36  per  cent,  girls.  Milages  have  6.75  per  cent,  boys,  and  12.26 
per  cent,  girls.  Open  country  churches  have  8.19  per  cent.»boys,  and 
9.26  per  cent,  girls.  One  reason  for  the  small  number  of  young 
people  is  that  many  grew  up  without  the  Church.  The  children 
now  growing  up  have  better  church  opportunities.  The  hope  of 
the  Church  for  the  future  is  to  reach  the  children. 

llie  small  church  prevails  on  the  Range,  the  average  active 
membership  being  only  about  fifty-seven.  For  the  various  groups, 
the  active  membership  is  as  follows : 

AVERAGE  ACTIVE  MEMBERSHIP 

Cotiittrx  Vilhu/c  Tozun  City               Az'craqc 

Beaverhead    8    "                  6  81                                                49 

Hughes   8                    39  109                                              59 

Sheridan     2>?>  62  185  117 

Union    16                   ii  66                                             24 

The  country  churches  have  an  average  of  eighteen,  the  village 
churches  thirty-five,  the  town  churches  ninety-one  and  the  city 
churches  185  members  each.  l'\)rty-nine  of  the  seventy  churches 
have  fifty  active  members  or  less,  and  thirty-six,  or  51.4  j^er  cent., 
of  these  have  less  than  twenty-five  each.  Twenty-one  churches  have 
each  more  than  fifty  active  members.  Forty-four  out  of  the  forty- 
nine  churches  of  less  than  fifty  members  are  cither  in  villages 
or  in  the  open  country.  All  the  churches  of  more  than  100  mem- 
bers are  either  town  or  city  churches. 

It  is  an  acknnwlfdgrd  fact  that  the  size  of  membership  has 
a  good  deal  to  do  with  church  efficiency:  in  a  word,  that  the  small 
church  is  a  losing  proposition.  Until  the  present,  the  small  clunxli 
on  the  Range  has  been  a  necessitv  because  of  the  small  and  scat- 

68 


WHAT  OF  THE  CHURCH? 


ACTIVE 
CHURCH     MEMBERSHIP 


lurches 

n  Churches 

w  n 


0-50  50-100         tOO-150        Over  150 

MEMBERS 


Nearly  three-fourths  of  the  churches 
have  less  than  50  members 


CHURCHES  WITH  LESS  THAN  50  MEMBERS 


Country  Churches 
Village  Churches 
Town  Churches 
City  Churches 


Per       Gent 

25  50  75 


i 


69 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

tered  population.  It  is  only  the  larger  centers  that  have  been  able 
to  support  good-sized  churches.  Even  with  the  coming  of  irriga- 
tion, this  Western  country  will  never  be  as  thickly  populated  as 
the  East  or  Middle  West.  Nor  can  a  fair  comparison  be  made 
between  the  churches  in  the  larger  centers  in  the  Middle  West 
and  far  West.  A  different  policy  is  likewise  needed  here  because 
many  of  these  centers  in  the  W'est  are  surrounded  with  large 
unchurched  areas  and  on  that  account  their  churches  should  be 
strategic  centers  for  a  radiating  religious  work. 

In  the  matter  of  gain  or  loss  in  membership,  it  is  to  be  noted 
that,  during  the  last  year,  a  little  more  than  half  the  churches 
made  a  net  gain  in  membership,  sixteen  churches  broke  even  on 


RELATION     OF    SIZE 
OF  CHURCH    MEMBERSHIP    TO    GAIN 

OF  42  CHURCHES  OF  28  CHURCHES 

with  memberships  of  less  than  50  with  memberships  of  50  or  more 

DID  NOT  GAIN         ^^^^k 

-SMAU.  CHURCHES-  -LARGE  CHURCHES- 

(During    past  year) 


CHART    V 

the  year  and  seventeen  showed  a  net  loss.  Thus.  3  per  cent,  of 
all  the  churches  remained  stationary,  24  per  cent,  lost  in  member- 
ship and  53  per  cent,  gained.  Of  the  churches  with  50  or  more 
members,  82  per  cent,  gained ;  of  those  with  less  than  50  members 
only  33.3  per  cent,  gained. 

Seven  hundred  and  sixty-four  new  mcm1)crs  were  taken  in 
during  the  year.  Forty  per  cent,  of  these  were  taken  in  Iw  letter, 
the  rest  on  confession  of  faith.  This  gain  by  confession  was  about 
13  per  cent,  of  the  previous  net  active  membership.  Gain  was 
distributed  according  to  sex  and  age  as  follows: 

Adult  male   31.0% 

Adult  female    42.4% 

Rovs    11.7% 

Girls     14.9% 


70 


CHAPTER  IV 

The  Church  Dollar 

ONE  way,  though  l)y  no  means  the  only  way,  that  the  Church 
can  judge  of  its  successful  work  is  by  the  financial  support 
that  it  receives.  In  this  Range  country  nearly  all  of  the 
Church  dollar  is  raised  locally,  except  about  twelve  cents  donated 
toward  church  work  by  denominational  boards.  Various  methods 
are  used  by  the  local  church  for  raising  the  other  eighty-eight 
cents.  Half  the  churches  use  a  budget  system.  That  is,  they  set 
down  at  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  an  itemized  budget  of  the 
amount  which  they  need,  on  the  basis  of  which  amount  subscrip- 
tions are  obtained  from  each  church  member  or  family.  Twenty- 
five  churches  finance  all  their  work  this  way  and  ten  churches  budget 
only  their  local  needs.  Thirty-two  churches  make  an  annual  every- 
member  canvass,  i.e.,  every  member  is  asked  regularly  each  year 
to  contribute  something  toward  the  church.  Weekly  envelopes,  in 
single  or  duplex  form,  are  used  in  twenty-four  churches.  Forty 
churches  can  be  said  to  have  a  system  of  regular,  frequent  pay- 
ments. The  rest  of  the  churches  depend  upon  various  combinations 
of  quarterly  or  annual  payments,  plate  collections  at  services, 
bazaars  and  other  money-raising  devices. 

Incidentally,  the  Ladies  Aid  and  Missionary  Societies  are  real 
stand-bys  in  the  matter  of  church  upkeep  and  benevolences.  In 
fully  half  the  churches,  women's  organizations  undertake  to  raise 
some  part  of  the  church  expenses  in  various  ways,  from  regular 
weekly  contributions  to  distributing  bags  to  be  filled  with  pennies 
for  every  year  of  the  contributor's  age,  or  by  making  gayly  colored 
holders  at  three  cents  each. 

Nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  raised  by  the  3,956 
active  members  in  the  year  of  the  survey.  This  is  the  "real  thrill" 
of  the  church  dollar.  The  total  amount  of  the  budget  raised  on 
the  field  by  sixty-eight  of  the  seventy  churches*  was  $97,571.98. 
Of  this  amount  $70,910.74,  or  little  less  than  three-fourths,  was 
procured   by    subscriptions ;    $9,464.24,    or    slightly    less    than    one- 

*  Three  country  churches  raised  no  money  during  the  year  and  one  city 
church,  which  tithes,  did  not  have  financial  figures  available, 

71 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

tenth,  by  collections,  and  the  balance  of  the  $17,197.00  by  mis- 
cellaneous means.  This  is  an  average  amount  per  church  of  $990.25. 
Here  again  it  is  clear  that  the  larger  the  membership  of  a  church, 
the  greater  the  impetus  from  within  for  further  growth  and  activ- 
ities. This  condition  is  evident  in  the  various  church  campaigns. 
The  city  churches  raise  more  than  twice  as  much  as  the  churches 
in  the  town,  village  or  country,  but  with  their  larger  member- 
ship there  is  not  a  corresponding  drain  on  the  individual. 
Thus,  the  city  and  village  church  members  give  about  the  same, 
$24.87  and  $24.47  respectively  per  year ;  the  town  members  give 
329.63  ;  the  countrv  members,  with  fewer  buildings,  fewer  services. 


THE      CHURCH       DOLLAR 


HOW  IT  IS    RAISED 
COLLECTION 


HOW  IT  IS    SPENT 


MISSIONS  & 
BENEVOLENCES 
S3°/o 


CHART    VI 
Figures  refer  to  total  amuunt  raised  and  spent,  including  Home  Missidn  Aid. 


and   less   resident   ministers  to  maintain  than   the   members   in   the 
centers,  pay  $16.12  each. 

Considering  that  nearly  half  the  churches  raise  their  money 
haphazardly,  the  average  contribution  per  church  and  per  member, 
in  these  four  counties  on  the  Range,  is  most  encouraging.  Of 
course,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  1919-1920  came  at  the  end 
of  the  fat  years,  and  hard  upon  this  prosperous  period  followed 
the  lean  one  of  high  freight  rates  and  low  prices  for  farm  products. 
Church  finances  depend  in  part  upon  the  practical  presentation  of 
the  financial  needs  of  the  Church,  and  upon  education  in  Christian 
stewardship — i.e.,  in  learning  the  value  of  church  work  at  home 
and  abroad.  But  there  is  another  side  to  the  question  which  is 
quite  as  vital.  Is  the  Church  rendering  a  real  service  to  the  com- 
munity, and  has  it  an  adequate  and  worth-while  ministry?     After 

72 


THE   CHURCH  DOLLAR 

all,  people  cannot  be  expected  to  give  more  than  they  receive  in 
service. 

Not  quite  all  the  money  was  spent.  In  each  group  there  was 
a  small  surplus ;  $85.00  for  the  country  churches,  $64.24  for  the 
village,  $64.00  for  the  town,  and  $365.89  for  the  city  churches. 
Of  the  total  amount  spent,  $41,268.79,  or  about  43  per  cent.,  paid 
salaries,  $24,657.55,  or  25  per  cent.,  was  given  to  missions  and 
benevolences,  and  the  remaining  32  per  cent,  was  used  for  local 
expenses  and  upkeep.  The  total  amount  given  to  benevolences  aver- 
ages $6.27  a  year.  All  the  money  spent  averages  $24.67  per  resident 
active  member,  a  good  record  indeed  for  a  homesteading  country. 

The  question  of  benevolences  is  important  because  many  churches 
offer  no  other  means  to  their  members  of  learning  and  practising 
unselfish  giving  and  service.  One  of  the  standards  adopted  by 
the  Interchurch  World  Movement  was  that  the  amount  given  to 
benevolences  should  at  least  equal  25  per  cent,  of  the  total  amount 
spent.  The  proportion  of  all  money  raised  which  is  used  to  pay 
salaries  and  local  expenses  is  higher  in  country  and  village  churches, 
while  the  proportion  given  for  missions  and  benevolences  is  lower 
than  in  the  town  and  city  churches.  In  other  words,  the  country 
and  village  churches  have  less  surplus  over  and  above  their  running 
expenses.  Benevolences  receive  14.3  per  cent,  of  all  money  raised 
by  the  country  churches,  and  12.75  per  cent,  of  all  money  raised 
by  the  village  churches.  Town  churches,  on  the  other  hand,  give 
23.84  per  cent,  of  their  receipts  to  benevolences,  and  the  city  churches 
give  33.65  per  cent.  The  finances  of  city  churches  are  well  pro- 
portioned, almost  an  equal  amount  going  for  salaries,  missions  and 
all  other  expenses. 

Home   Mission   Aid 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  about  twelve  cents  of  the  church 
dollar  come  from  the  denominational  boards  in  the  form  of  Home 
Mission  aid.  The  total  amount  given  to  the  local  churches  in  the 
year  preceding  the  survey  was  $12,937.50,  which  went  to  forty- 
one  churches  in  amounts  varying  from  $50  to  $750.  Two  more 
churches  would  have  been  receiving  aid  if  they  had  had  a  pastor, 
and  still  another  church  had  there  been  a  resident  pastor.  Of 
the  forty-one  churches  receiving  aid,  two  are  city,  seven  are  town, 
seven  are  village  and  twenty-five  are  country  churches. 

Of  course,  some  of  these  churches,  in  their  turn,  hand  back 
money  to  other  boards  in  the  form  of  missions  and  benevolences. 

73 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

All  the  city  churches  give  $13,382.04  in  benevolences  and  missions 
and  receive  $2,100;  all  the  town  churches  give  $8,304.96  and  re- 
ceive $3,035;  the  village  churches  give  $1,650  and  receive  $3,650, 
and  the  country  churches  give  $1,320  and  receive  $4,152.  By 
counties,  Beaverhead  gets  back  46.8  per  cent,  of  what  she  gives, 
Hughes  gets  back  47.3  per  cent.,  Sheridan  37.2  per  cent.,  while 
Union  is  the  only  county  which  receives  more  than  she  gives — 
24.4  per  cent.  The  churches  which  receive  aid  send  back  to  the 
boards  $2,872.79.  In  a  word,  the  churches  send  money  to  the 
church  boards,  who  in  turn  remit  this  money.  This  would  seem 
a  strange  story  to  some  one  not  versed  in  church  ethics  and  de- 
nominational procedure.  But  giving  and  serving  is  one  of  the 
fundamental  ideas  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  money  given  for 
missions  and  benevolences  is  good  training  as  well  as  definitely  a 
service  to  humanity. 

The  Range  has  always  been  Home  Mission  territory;  justifiably 
too,  because  homesteaders  have  not  been  able  to  pay  for  religious 
ministry.  A  homesteader's  "bit"  is  hard  earned  enough,  and  sel- 
dom adequate  to  his  needs.  Nevertheless,  the  problem  of  financial 
aid  is  always  a  serious  one.  Subsidization  of  persons  as  well  as 
institutions  must  be  wisely  handled  or  moral  deterioration  is  likely 
to  set  in.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  never  subsidizes  a  county  for  its  rural 
work.  If  the  county  cannot  pay,  it  must  do  without  the  work. 
Ordinarily,  several  counties  combine  for  rural  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work 
and  have  one  secretary  among  them. 

An  excellent  grading  system  for  their  aided  fields  has  been 
worked  out  by  the  Presbyterian  Home  Mission  Board.*  One  of 
the  first  questions  considered  is  the  prospect  of  self-support.  How 
far  has  it  been  the  policy  of  the  Boards  to  help  a  church  to  a  status 
of  self-support?  Forty-four  of  the  seventy  active  churches  have 
had  aid  during  the  last  thirty  years.  Only  four  of  these  churches 
are  now  self -supporting.  It  has  already  been  pointed  out  that 
three  churches  did  not  receive  aid  during  the  year  preceding  the 
survey  because  they  lacked  pastors.  Development  toward  self- 
support  has  evidently  not  been  a  criterion  of  the  Boards  in  granting 
money. 

Another  test  is  whether  the  field  is  a  "strategic  service  oppor- 
tunity"— either  allocated  to  this  denomination  or  a  field  presenting 
a  unique  need.  Some  of  the  churches  fall  within  such  a  classifica- 
tion. A  total  of  about  $207,170  has  been  received,  given  by  eleven 
denominations.     City  churches  have  received  $40,850,  town  churches 

*  Sec  Tal)lc  XXIII. 

74 


THE  CHURCH  DOLLAR 

$67,465,  village  churches  $47,430  and  country  churches  $51,425. 
Of  the  total  amount,  $44,980  has  gone  to  fifteen  strategic  service 
churches.  In  addition,  four  of  the  aided  churches  receiving  $27,000 
serve  special  groups  of  population,  of  which  one  is  Swedish,  one 
Norwegian,  and  two  are  German  Lutheran  churches.  There  remain 
thirty  churches  receiving  $136,190.  Three  churches,  receiving  $6,830, 
are  the  only  ones  in  their  community.  All  the  rest  are  in  com- 
munities with  other  churches,  at  least  one  of  which  in  each  case 
is  aided. 


A   NEGLECTED   OUTPOST  OF   CHRISTIANITY 

A  village  church  in  the  center  of  a  large  uncvangelized  area,  served  by  a  minister  living 
thirty-tive   miles   away. 

Aid  Misapplied 

Some  aid  has  very  evidently  been  granted  without  a  definite 
understanding  on  the  part  of  the  board  as  to  whether  other  churches 
were  concerned,  whether  the  community  could  really  support  a 
church,  whether,  after  all.  it  was  good  sense  to  assist  a  church 
in  that  particular  situation.  Not  very  much  money  has  been  spent. 
More  could  have  been  used  to  advantage.  As  H.  Paul  Douglass 
says  in  "From  Survey  to  Service,"  "It  is  in  the  nature  of  the  case 
that  the  conquest  of  distance  by  the  Gospel  will  take  very  dis- 
proportionate amounts  of  money  compared  with  other  forms  of 
missions.  It  can  be  cheap  only  when  it  is  adequate."  The  policy 
has  too  often  been  to  help  keep  alive  a  great  many  struggling 
churches  which  did  little  to  justify  support,  rather  than  to  develop 
a  smaller  number  of  churches  in  greater  need  of  help  in  a  poorly 

75 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

churched  area.  In  other  words,  the  pohcy  has  been  one  of  de- 
nominational expansion  rather  than  ot'  denominational  concentra- 
tion and  demonstration.  Home  Mission  aid  too  often  creates  futile 
competition  within  a  community  by  supporting  a  church  for  selfish 
denominational  purposes.  Some  of  these  churches  were  better  dead, 
and  they  would  have  died  of  natural  causes  but  for  Home  Mission 
aid. 

There  are  good  and  bad  instances  of  denominational  help.  One 
denomination  has  aided  three  churches  for  thirty  years,  but  has 
not  helped  any  one  of  them  for  the  last  ten  years.  They  had  reached 
a  self-supporting  status.  Ikit.  wlien  a  denomination  lavishes  $18,000 
of  Home  Mission  aid  in  keeping  alive  a  church  in  a  village  of 
150  population,  where  there  is  also  another  church,  and  when  the 
village  is  situated  near  to  a  large,  wcll-churchcd  center,  such  aid 
is  wasted.  The  same  denomination  fails  to  give  with  liberality  to 
a  far  needier  case,  the  only  Protestant  church  in  a  small  village,  a 
railroad  center,  located  fairly  in  the  center  of  a  large  unevangelized 
area.  In  one  of  its  valleys,  a  resident  recently  remarked  that  they 
had  heard  no  preaching  for  twenty  years.  This  instance  of  neglect 
is  in  Montana,  and  the  territory  has  been  allocated  to  this  denomi- 
nation since  1919,  so  that  other  churches  are  keeping  their  hands 
off.  Yet  this  church,  which  had  a  resident  pastor  vmtil  two  years 
before  the  time  of  the  survey,  is  now  being  served  by  a  pastor 
of  a  town  church  living  thirty-five  miles  away  who  preaches  there 
on  a  zvcck-day  night.  No  preaching  on  Sunday,  no  pastoral  work, 
obviously  no  community  work  in  the  village  and  no  touch  at  all 
on  the  districts  outside  of  the  village !  How  well  could  tlie  lavish 
aid  of  $18,000  have  been  put  to  use  in  this  churchless  area!  This 
desperate  condition  needs  as  much  aid  every  year  as  all  the  Boards 
give  all  forty-one  aided  churches  at  present.  Instead,  this  church 
has  been  allocated  to  one  denomination,  and  is  now  getting  less 
attention  than  before.  This  case  constitutes  an  abuse  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  allocation. 


7G 


CHAPTER  V 
To  Measure  Church  Effectiveness 

A  UD  members  contributing  to  the  support  of  an  organization  to 
h\  a  probable  minister  and  possibly  to  a  building  and  you  have 
-^  -^  the  ground-plan  of  the  average  church  in  this  Western 
country.  What,  then,  is  the  church  program?  How  are  the 
churches  attempting  to  serve  their  members,  and  just  how  much 
are  they  contributing  through  their  program  and  activities  to  the 
life  about  them,  toward  bringing  about  a  genuine  Christianization 
of  a  community  life?  Religious  values,  it  is  true,  are  spiritual 
and  cannot  be  tabulated  in  statistical  tables.  This  fact  is  as  fully 
recognized  as  the  corollary  that  circumstances  often  limit  ideals. 
\Miat  the  churches  are  doing,  however,  ought  to  be  a  fair  test  of 
their  underlying  purpose.  In  a  word,  then,  what  do  they  consider 
their  job  and  are  they  "putting  it  across"? 

Opportunities  for  Worship 

All  the  churches  have  services  for  the  preaching  of  God's  word, 
but  it  has  already  become  evident  in  the  preceding  pages  that  in 
certain  sections  of  the  Range  country  the  Church,  even  as  a  social 
factor,  is  regarded  rather  as  a  curiosity  by  the  men.  An  amusing 
story  with  a  Bret  Harte  flavor  is  told  of  an  early  meeting  in  Beaver- 
head County.  The  hall  in  Glendale,  a  busy  place  then,  with  banks, 
restaurants,  even  a  paper,  was  filled  with  a  rough-and-ready  audi- 
ence of  miners  and  cowboys  listening  to  a  lantern  lecture.  Vastly 
delighted  over  the  trick,  one  man  after  another  quietly  rose  from 
his  seat  and  stepped  out  of  the  window.  \\'hen  the  preacher  ended 
his  talk  and  the  hall  lighted  up  not  a  soul  remained  but  himself. 
The  next  dav,  however,  his  audience  made  it  right.  They  passed 
a  hat  and  collected  $300  for  him. 

As  has  been  noted,  more  than  half  of  the  church  buildings  are 
adapted  to  preaching  and  nothing  else,  nineteen  churches,  of  neces- 
sity, holding  their  meetings  in  school  houses.  The  frequency  of 
services  varies.  The  larger  centers  have  an  abundance  of  church 
meetings.  All  but  two  of  the  town  and  two  of  the  city  churches 
have  two  preaching  services  each  Sunday.     But  only  three  country 

77 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

and  two  village  churches  are  so  fortunate.  Two  additional  churches, 
one  a  village  and  one  a  town  church,  have  the  advantage  of  two 
services  a  Sunday  hecause  they  unite  regularly  with  other  churches 
near  them,  hoth  of  which  hold  two  services  a  Sunday. 

Forty-five  of  the  seventy  churches  have  less  than  two  services 
a  Sunday.  Of  thirty  churches,  twenty-five  country  and  five  village 
churches,  each  has  less  than  four  services  a  month.  Those  located 
in  the  larger  well-churched  centers  have  an  ample  number  of  serv- 
ices, while  the  majority  of  churches  with  less  than  two  services  a 
Sunday  are  country  churches.     Yet  most  of  these  are  holding  the 


NOT   A    STORE   BUT   A    CHURCH 
Cliristian  Church   at   Dcs  Moines,   Uninr 


County. 


only  service  in  their  community.  Seventy-three  and  five-tenths 
per  cent,  of  all  the  country  churches  have  less  than  four  services 
each  month,  and  44  per  cent,  have  only  one  service  or  even  less. 
All  but  one  of  the  eighteen  churches  with  only  one  service  or 
less  per  month  are  country  churches.  Ten  churches  hold  special 
musical  services.  Mid-week  prayer  meetiiigs  are  held  by  sixteen 
of  those  which  have  two  services  each  Sunday,  but  by  only  one 
of  the.  forty-five  churches  in  the  group  holding  the  fewer  number 
of  services. 

Except  in  winter,  the  chief  handicap  to  attendance  in  Beaverhead 
and  Sheridan  lies  in  the  rugged  landscape.  Country  members  in  all 
the  counties  have  real  difficulty  in  getting  to  church  throughout  the 
year.  Most  of  them  have  long  distances  to  go.  and  the  roads  make 
travel  difficult  in  winter  and  early  spring.  In  summer,  haying  is 
carried  on  very  generally  seven  days  of  the  week,  and  church  at- 

78 


TO  MEASURE  CHURCH  EFFECTIVENESS 


tendance  is  a  problem  even  if  the  church  service  is  held  at  night. 
The  aggregate  monthly  attendance  is  18,337  and  as  the  total  number 
of  services  is  286,  the  average  attendance  per  service  is  about  sixty- 
five  persons,  low  enough,  but  higher  than  the  average  active  mem- 
bership per  church,  which  is  about  fifty-six.  Average  seating 
capacity,  active  membership  and  attendance  compare  as  follows : 


FREQUENCY   OF    CHURCH    SERVICES 


Regular 


8  6  4  2  1 

SERVICES     PER     MONTH 
43%  of  the  churches  have  2  services  or  less  per  month 


Country      Village        Toivn  City 

Churches   Churches  Churches  Cliurches 


Total 


77f 

285 

436 

233 

36 

91 

196 

56 

37 

72 

112 

65 

Average  seating  capacity 129* 

Average  active  membership.  .  .      18 
Average  attendance  at  services     34 

*  17  country  churches  have  buildings. 

t  13  village  churches  have  buildings. 

It  is  evident  from  the  table  above  that  the  churches  are  only 
about  one-fourth  filled  on  the  average.  Nothing  is  more  dishearten- 
ing than  a  church  three-quarters  empty  in  which  the  echoes  of  the 
minister's  voice  reverberate  over  the  vacant  seats. 

Union   Services 


Tangible  evidence  of  cooperation  and  good-will  among  churches 
of  different  denominations  is  found  in  "union"  services,  which 
thirty-eight  churches  might  reasonably  hold  in  these  counties.  Just 
twenty-one  of  these  churches  do  unite,  the  majority  for  Thanks- 
giving Day  services  and  in  fewer  instances,  for  Chautauqua,  Bac- 
calaureate, Memorial  Day,  and  summer  evening  services.     In  two 

79 


THE   CHURCH  OX  THE  CHAXGIXG  FROXTIER 

instances,  two  churches,  Methodist  and  Presbyterian,  are  uniting 
for  services  and  Sunday  schools,  their  other  organizations  meeting 
separately.  Since  the  time  of  the  survey,  two  churches,  located 
in  an  overchurched  hamlet,  have  also  temporarily  put  this  plan  into 
effect. 


A    CASE    OF    COOPERATION 

The  M.   E.   Cluircli   at   Blunt,   S.    D.,  which   bt-ing  pastorless  joined   with   the   Presbyterian 
Church   for  preaching  services. 


Evangelism 

A  greater  portion  of  the  evangelistic  work  is  done  through 
revival  meetings,  although  less  than  half  of  the  churches  hold  them. 
Of  all  the  members  admitted  on  confession  of  faith  by  all  the 
churches  during  the  year,  76  per  cent,  were  converted  in  revival 
meetings,  and  joined  one  of  the  churches  holding  such  a  revival. 
Thirty-one  of  the  seventy  churches  held  or  united  in  thirty  such 
meetings,  one  being  a  union  meeting  of  two  churches.  Pastors 
conducted  fifteen  meetings,  in  three  of  which  a  neighboring  pastor 
or  evangelist  assisted.  Fourteen  meetings  were  held  by  visiting 
clergymen.  The  meetings  were  well  attended,  extending  from  seven 
to    thirty-five    days,    the    average    meeting    lasting    thirteen    days. 

80 


TO  MEASURE  CHURCH  EFFECTIVENESS 

Eighty-seven  per  cent,  of  the  385  converts  and  the  thirteen  who 
were  reclaimed  joined  the  churches  holding  the  revival.  This  gain 
amounted  to  72  per  cent,  of  the  total  gain  in  membership  made  by 
these  same  thirty-one  churches  during  the  entire  year.  Forty-four 
per  cent,  of  all  the  churches  held  revivals,  and  while  they  represent 
only  45  per  cent,  of  the  total  harvest  by  confession  and  letter,  yet 
three-fourths  of  all  the  gain  made  by  confession  of  faith  were  ob- 
tained by  these  churches. 

The  country  churches  held  seventeen  meetings,  averaged  four 
new  members  each,  and  made  20  per  cent,  of  the  total  gain.  The 
village  churches  held  five  meetings  and  the  town  churches  held  four 
meetings,  both  averaging  five  new  members  each,  the  village  churches 
making  8  per  cent,  of  the  total  gain  and  the  town  churches  6  per 
cent.  The  city  churches  held  only  four  meetings,  averaged  about 
fifty-seven  new  members  each  and  realized  one-third  of  the  total 
gain  made. 

Children  and  the  Churches 

Sunday  schools  are  the  big  hope  of  this  country.  Young  people 
and  older  people  are  not  so  much  interested  in  the  Church  and 
religion  because  so  many  have  grown  up  without  it,  but  the  chil- 
dren have  had  more  chance  to  know  the  Church.  Sunday  schools 
are  to-day  the  most  frequent  form  of  church  work  in  these  Western 
counties.  They  are  especially  hopeful  because  so  many  of  them 
over-ride  d-enominational  lines  and  unionize ;  also  because  they 
persist  when  all  other  church  spirit  seems  to  be  dead. 

Fifty-six  churches  have  Sunday  schools  of  their  own,  and  one 
city  church  has  a  mission  Sunday  school  in  addition  to  its  own. 
Two  groups  of  two  churches  each  combine  their  Sunday  schools. 
Only  three  churches  neither  maintain  their  own  Sunday  schools  nor 
help  with  a  union  school. 

Thirty-seven  union  Sunday  schools  are  being  carried  on  in 
the  four  counties,  nine  of  which  have  the  assistance  of  church 
organizations  meeting  in  the  same  building.  Three  are  located  in 
mining  camp  villages,  the  rest  in  small  hamlets  or  open  country. 
These  union  schools  have  a  fourth  of  the  total  Sunday  school 
enrollment.  People  on  ranches  and  far  from  town  start  Sunday 
schools  under  local  leadership  without  waiting  for  churches  to  be 
organized.  When  a  newcomer  sends  his  children  to  Sunday  school 
it  is  often  the  only  contact  made  with  religious  activity  in  the  new 
country.  The  independent  Sunday  school  has.  therefore,  in  a  sense, 
a  greater  responsibility  than  the  church  Sunday  school. 

81 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

The  importance  of  the  Sunday  school  is  hrought  out  in  a  com- 
parison hetween  Sunday  school  enrollment  and  resident  church 
membership. 

Country      rUlage       Toivn         City        Total 

Number  of  churches  34  14  13  9  70 

Number  of  Sunday  schools   56  14  12  10  92 

Total  resident  church  membership     745  563         1,389         2,272         4,969 

Total  enrollment  of  church  Sun- 
day schools    897  731  1,430         1,475         4,533 

Total  enrollment  of  all  Sunday 
schools     2,373  829         1,430         1,475         6,107 

Average  enrollment  of  all  Sunday 

schools     42  59  119  147  67 

Average  attendance  of  all  Sunday 
schools     ".       28  40  79  104  50 

The  enrollment  of  church  Sunday  schools  is  larger  than  the 
total  church  membership  in  Union  County,  and  larger  than  resident 
church  membership  in  Beaverhead,  Hughes  or  Union.  The  total 
enrollment  of  all  Sunday  schools  is  23  per  cent,  higher  than  the 
total  resident  church  membership.  Without  the  Union  County 
Sunday  schools  this  enrollment  equals  only  91  per  cent,  of  the 
resident  church  membership.  Thirty-five  churches  have  a  larger 
Sunday  school  enrollment  than  resident  church  membership ;  all 
nine  churches  helping  with  Union  Sunday  schools  have  a  smaller 
membership  than  the  Union  school  enrollnient.  This  discrepancy 
is  high  in  some  churches.  For  example,  a  country  church  has  thirty- 
five  enrolled  in  the  Sunday  school  and  only  eight  church  members ; 
a  village  church  with  sixty-five  enrolled  in  its  Sunday  school  has 
seven  church  members ;  a  town  church  has  fifteen  church  members 
and  150  enrolled  in  its  Sunday  school. 

Country  and  village  Sunday  schools  show  the  best  record. 
The  total  enrollment  of  all  country  Sunday  schools,  including  the 
Union  schools,  is  more  than  three  times  as  high  as  church  member- 
ship. The  enrollment  of  all  village  Sunday  schools  is  about  47 
per  cent,  higher  than  village  church  enrollment.  There  are  no 
Union  Sunday  schools  in  the  towns  or  city.  Except  in  the  city 
the  average  Sunday  school  enrollment  exceeds  average  resident 
church  membership,  the  advantage  being  twenty-two  for  the  coun- 
try schools,  nineteen  for  the  village,  and  twelve  for  the  town 
schools.  The  average  city  church  membership,  however,  exceeds 
average  Simday  school  enrollment  by  105. 

When  Sunday  school  enrollment  is  higher  than  church  mem- 
bership, it  is  ordinarily  encouraging  as  a  promise  of  future  growth. 
Rut  the  large  discrepancies  between  village  and  open  country  church 
membership  and  Sunday  school  enrollment,  coupled  with  the  low 

82 


TO  MEASURE  CHURCH  EFFECTIVENESS 

percentage  of  young  people  in  their  church  memberships,  show  that 
these  churches  are  not  recruiting  new  members  from  their  Sunday 
schools  as  they  might.  Nor  are  the  churches  relating  themselves 
to  any  extent  to  the  separate  Sunday  schools  in  outlying  sections. 
This  can  be  done,  and  is  most  successful  in  a  few  cases.  For  ex- 
ample, the  Apache  Valley  Sunday  School,  which  meets  on  Sunday 
afternoons  at  a  schoolhouse  in  Union  County,  is  being  "fathered" 
by  two  ministers  from  Clayton,  six  miles  away,  who  go  out  on 
alternate  Sundays.  This  Sunday  school  is  live  and  flourishing.  It 
maintains  a  high  percentage  of  attendance  and  carries  on  various 
activities. 

Attendance  in  general  is  good.  The  percentage  of  enrollment 
represented  in  the  attendance  on  a  typical  Sunday  varies  from  66.7 
per  cent,  for  the  town  to  70.8  per  cent,  for  the  city  schools.  Yet 
only  twenty-five  schools  make  definite  efforts  to  increase  their  at- 
tendance. The  various  methods  used  are  contests  such  as  a  com- 
petitive Boys'  and  Girls'  day,  a  fall  Rally  Day,  cards,  rewards  and 
prizes,  a  Banner  Class,  a  Look-out  Committee  and  the  Cross  and 
Crown  System. 

During  the  year  preceding  the  survey,  168  pupils  joined  the 
churches  from  the  Sunday  schools,  and  there  were  seven  proba- 
tioners at  the  time  the  survey  was  made.  Decision  Day  was  held 
in  four  country,  one  village,  five  town  and  four  city  schools.  The 
results  were  meager.  Only  thirty-five  declared  for  church  member- 
ship. Nine  town  and  city  schools  have  classes  to  prepare  for 
church  membership,  eight  schools  have  sent  twenty  scholars  into 
some  kind  of  Christian  work  during  the  last  ten  years.  A  country 
Sunday  school  in  Hughes  County  has  shown  what  can  be  done  in 
this  respect.  It  has  sent  five  young  people  into  Christian  service 
during  the  last  ten  years,  and  five  more  in  the  whole  history  of 
the  school.  It  is  significant  that  one  consecrated  pastor  has  served 
this  Sunday  school  and  church  during  this  entire  time. 

Cradle  Rolls  are  another  excellent  method  of  enlistment.  Yet 
these  are  kept  in  only  twenty-six  schools.  The  total  enrollment 
is  473.  One  of  the  greatest  needs  of  this  country  is  more  local 
and  better  trained  leadership,  not  only  for  Sunday  schools  but 
for  the  community  at  large.  The  only  definite  training  for  leader- 
ship is  eight  Teacher  Training  classes,  held  in  two  city,  four  town, 
one  village  and  one  country  school. 

Mission  study  is  carried  on  in  seventeen  schools  more  or  less 
frequently,  several  additional  schools  annually  presenting  the  cause 
of  missions.     One  city  school  has  a  four-day  institute  for  the  study 

83 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

of  Sunday  school  methods  and  missions.  Twenty-nine  schools  make 
regular  missionary  offerings,  and  seven  take  them  once  a  year. 
Twelve  schools  have  libraries  with  an  average  of  seventy-three 
volumes  each.  Eighty-three  schools  give  out  Sunday  school  papers. 
There  are  507  classes,  an  average  of  about  twelve  per  class. 

Proper  preparation  is  one  of  the  greatest  needs  of  the  Sunday 
schools  in  these  counties.  Much  of  the  instruction  is  haphazard 
and  indifferent.  Men  teach  123  classes  and  26.6  per  cent,  of  the 
total  enrollment.  Ordinarily,  the  man  teacher,  if  there  is  one, 
takes  the  adult  class  at  the  expense  of  the  growing  boy  who  needs 
him  more  than  the  adults.  Graded  lessons  are  used  exclusively 
in  ten  schools  and  twenty  others  use  them  in  some  classes.  Seven- 
teen schools  have  organized  classes.  Sixty-six  schools  are  open 
throughout  the  year.  The  pastor  is  superintendent  in  six  schools, 
teacher  in  fifteen,  substitute  teacher  in  one,  "helps"  in  nineteen,  is 
a  student  in  two,  and  in  one  reports  his  job  as  "superintendent, 
teacher  and  janitor." 

Social  events  for  the  Sunday  schools  mean  picnics,  class  parties, 
and  sometimes  a  real  ice  cream  sociable.  About  one-third  of  the 
schools  have  a  reasonable  amount  of  social  activity,  while  sixteen 
report  a  great  deal.  Fifty-seven  schools  have  picnics,  and  great 
events  they  are,  too,  with  more  cakes  and  pies  and  goodies  of  all 
sorts  than  the  community  is  likely  to  see  again  for  another  year. 
One  or  more  classes  have  socials,  parties  and  "hikes"  in  seventeen 
schools  (four  village,  nine  town  and  four  city).  The  "Anti-Kants" 
is  an  interesting  class  of  young  women.  Every  time  one  of  the 
class  becomes  engaged,  there  is  a  party  and  a  shower,  called  a 
graduation.  Twenty  graduations  have  taken  place  in  the  history 
of  the  class.  About  half  of  the  schools  have  programs  for  special 
days,  especially  for  Children's  Day,  Christmas  and  Easter.  One 
Union  school  has  an  Easter  picnic  and  egg-hunt.  Nineteen  schools 
have  mixed  socials,  si:ch  as  parties,  indoor  picnics,  ice  cream 
suppers  and  entertainments.  One  town  school  has  a  weekly  social. 
The  only  special  Sunday  school  organizations  are  a  Choir  Associa- 
tion and  Sunday  school  athletic  teams  in  three  town  churches  which 
play  competitive  games.  Twenty  report  no  social  life  of  anv  sort 
in  connection  wMth  their  schools.  They  do  not  even  have  a  picnic 
to  liven  things  up. 


84 


TO  MEASURE  CHURCH  EFFECTIVENESS 


HAPPY    LITTLE    PICNICKERS 
The   Baptist   Mission  at   Klecnhurg,   Wyoming,   does   good   work   for   the  kiddies. 


A  GOOD  TIME   WAS   HAD   BY  ALL 
A  Sunday  School  class  picnic  in  Union  County. 


85 


THE   CHURCH  OX   THE   CHANGING  FRONTIER 
Other  Church  Organizations 

Various  other  organizations  have  been  developed  within  the 
churches  for  business,  educational  and  social  purposes.  Women 
have  a  great  many,  men  have  very  few.  Fifty-six  women's  organi- 
zations are  carried  on  in  thirty-seven  churches,  of  which  nine  are 
village  and  nine  country  churches.  There  are  twenty-eight  Ladies' 
Aids,  thirteen  Missionary  Societies  and  various  Guilds,  Circles, 
Auxiliaries,  a  Manse  Society,  a  King's  Daughters,  an  Adelphian  and 
a  Dorcas.  The  total  enrollment  is  1,682,  or  about  70  per  cent,  of 
the  total  female  resident  church  membership  over  twenty-one,  and 
17  per  cent,  of  the  total  female  population  aged  from  eighteen  to 
forty-four,  in  the  four  counties.  The  attendance  averages  about 
twenty-one  to  each  organization. 

In  sorry  contrast  to  this  array,  men's  organizations  number 
only  seven,  and  all  are  connected  with  city  or  town  churches  in 
Pierre,  the  county  seat  of  Hughes  County.  The  enrollment  is 
300,  or  27  per  cent,  of  the  total  resident  church  membership  in 
city  and  town  of  males  over  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  only 
3  per  cent,  of  the  total  male  population  between  the  ages  of  eighteen 
and  forty-four  in  the  four  counties.  Men  and  women  have  two 
organizations  in  common.  One  is  a  missionary  society  which,  con- 
trary to  custom,  shares  its  endeavors  with  men,  the  other  is  a 
dramatic  club  for  any  one  old  or  young  who  has  dramatic  ability. 
This  interesting  organization  gives  a  splendid  amateur  show  every 
year.  A  former  professional  actor,  who  also  coaches  dramatics  in 
the  high  school,  is  the  coach. 

Boys   Left  Out 

There  are  only  eight  organizations  for  girls  in  seven  town  or 
city  churches.  Two  hundred  and  twenty-two,  or  42  per  cent.,  of 
all  the  girls  under  twenty-one  in  the  town  and  city  resident  mem- 
bership are  enrolled.  One  is  a  Friendly  Society,  and  the  rest  arc 
various  kinds  of  guilds.  But  boys  are  the  most  shabbily  treated  of 
all.  There  are  only  four  organizations  especially  for  them,  all  in 
town  churches  and  two  in  one  church,  so  that  only  three  churches 
have  s]iecial  clubs  for  their  boys.  The  enrollment  is  sixty-nine, 
or  abotit  21  ]X'r  cent,  of  all  the  boys  under  twenty-one  enrolled 
in  city  and  town  church  membership.  Roys  and  girls  together 
have  two  organizations  in  two  town  churches  with  a  membership 
of  seventy-three.     One  is  a  Junior  League,  and  the  other  a  Junior 

86 


TO  MEASURE  CHURCH  EFFECTIVENESS 

Baptist  Young  People's  Union.  Young  people  have  twenty-eight 
organizations  in  ten  country,  three  village,  nine  town  and  six  city 
churches.  Eight  of  them  are  Epworth  Leagues,  eight  are  Christian 
Endeavors  and  the  rest  are  various  Young  People's  Societies,  Bap- 
tist Young  People's  Unions,  Mission  Volunteers,  Young  People's 
Alliances,  two  Choir  Organizations  and  one  Purely  for  Fun  Club. 
Their  total  enrollment  of  834,  together  with  the  membership  of 
the  mixed  boys'  and  girls'  organizations,  equals  84  per  cent,  of 
the  total  church  resident  membership  under  twenty-one.* 

More  people  in  the  community  are  reached  through  the  meetings 
of  these  organizations  than  by  any  other  single  church  activity, 
with  the  exception  of  the  celebration  of  special  days.  These  meet- 
ings are  often  community  affairs,  especially  in  the  case  of  the 
women's  organizations.  In  twenty  organizations,  the  attendance 
exceeds  the  enrollment.  The  men's  clubs  work  for  the  church, 
and  several  do  practical  community  work.  Their  programs  in  all 
but  two  cases  include  dinners,  either  at  every  meeting  or  at  special 
banquets  during  the  year.  One  club  puts  on  a  Father  and  Son 
banquet  every  year. 

Men's   Forum  and   Ladies'   Aids 

The  most  interesting  outcome  of  the  work  of  any  of  the  men's 
organizations  is  the  Men's  Forum,  recently  developed  in  Sheridan 
by  the  combined  Men's  Clubs  of  the  Congregational  and  Protestant 
churches.  This  was  the  first  open  forum  held  in  Wyoming.  The 
attendance  at  the  meetings  averaged  400.  The  principles  of  the 
forum  are  as   follows : 

The  complete  development  of  democracy  in  America. 

A  common  meeting  ground  for  all  the  people  in  the  interest  of  truth  and 
mutual  understanding,  and  for  the  cultivation  of  community  spirit. 

The  freest  and  fullest  open  discussion  of  all  vital  questions  afifecting 
human  welfare. 

Participation  on  the  part  of  the  audience  from  the  Forum  Floor  w^hether 
by  questions  or  discussion. 

The  freedom  of  the  Forum  management  from  responsibility  for  utterances 
by  speakers  from  the  platform  or  floor. 

Among  the  subjects  presented  have  been  "Community  Prob- 
lems." "The  Church  and  Industrial  Conflict,"  "The  Golden  Rule  in 
Business  :  Is  It  Practicable?"  "The  Farmers'  Movement  in  America," 
"Bolshevism,"  "Feeding  the  World:  Is  It  America's  Job?"     There 

*  The  membership  of  the  separate  bovs'  and  girls'  organizations  cannot  be 
added  here  because  it  vi^ould  involve  duplication. 

87 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

is  no  more  encouraging  sign  of  community  interest  in  public  ques- 
tions, and  a  conscious  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Church  to  develop 
a  public  opinion  on  social,  economic  and  religious  problems. 

The   Ladies'    Aid    is    often    the   only    woman's    organization    in 

f  B&SEET  PICNIC  1 

I        JULY  4th        I 

U)  iJi 

I     Hayden  Park     I 

J  \  500  People  Will  Be  There  | 

\i       Every  body  comel     Plenty  of  Nice  Shade,   Fresh   ili 

It,  Water  and  a  Good  Time  for  Every  Body  \b 

4,  •'         -'  yj 

;{;  SOMETHiNG  DOING  ALL  DAY                     $ 

Uj  Refreshments  for  sale  on  the  Grounds,   at   reason-  ^ 

iJ;  able  prices.     No  Hold-Up  Here.     A  Square  Deal  on   ^ 

^  every  hand. J 

^  Speaking  and  Musical  9:30  * 


^  Tournament  at                                 11:15  ^ 

^1,  ,                  Dinner  to  be  spread  on  big  table  at  12  -                    j^ 

li/  f-.                Big  Platform   Dance,  .11  ihtrnoonSc  night  9-.                  (ir 

U<  \M                Foot  Race    1    to    1:30,     Entrance   Fee   J I  «\^                  tf* 

Jj'  m               Cigar  Race  1:30  to  2.  ^                 * 

y*  Y                 300>d.ponyrace2to2:30,Entr.nce»2.50  Y                   W 

J2  Pack  Race  2:30  to  3.        Entt.nee  J2.50  Jf 

^  Barrel  Race  3  to  3;30         Entrance   $100  ^ 

Htl  Bovs  Pony  Race  3:30  to  4       Entrance  »l  Hi 

\tl  Relay  Race  4  to  4:30                 Entrance  $  I  Hi 

\l/  Balance  of  the  time  will  be  given  to  Roping  and  Pough  Riding  ||^ 

<*'  All  Entrance  Fees  to  be  In  by  1 :00  o'clock  >*f' 

<l>  Hi 

^  Ask  anyone  who  ever  attended  our  Picnics  as  to  jjj 
*  "us"  giving  you  a  Good  Time  '^ 

PROGRAM    OP'    A    COMMUNITY    RALLY 

the  community.  Most  of  these  clubs  meet  once  or  twice  a  month, 
with  regular  programs  for  Bible  study  or  missions,  organize  sewing 
and  quilting  bees,  and  bazaars,  etc.  The  help  they  give  in  church 
finances  has  already  been  appreciated.  Any  such  common  interest 
and  responsibility  holds  many  an  organization  together.  Several 
promote  social  welfare  work.  One  organized  a  Teachers'  Training 
Class  to  improve  material  for  Sunday  school  teachers.  One  village 
has  a  comnumity  Ladies'  Aid  which  works  for  the  church,  although 


TO  MEASURE  CHURCH  EFFECTIVENESS 

only  a  few  are  church  members.  The  community  woman's  club 
in  a  small  hamlet  is  studying  missions  as  a  part  of  its  program. 
In  one  community,  the  Ladies'  Aid  of  the  only  church,  which  is 
pastorless,  meets  regularly  and  holds  a  yearly  bazaar  to  pay  the 
occasional  supply  preacher  and  keep  the  church  in  repair.  At 
the  "Frontier  Day"  given  by  a  Dude  Ranch,  the  Ladies'  Aid  from 
a  nearby  hamlet  had  a  booth  for  selling  hamburgers  and  lemonade. 
In  one  of  the  mining  camps,  the  Ladies'  Aid  of  the  Mission  church 
sent  out  invitations  for  an  afternoon  tea  to  raise  money  for  a 
new  piano  for  the  Kindergarten.  It  turned  out  to  be  a  great  social 
event  attended  by  women,  many  of  them  foreign,  from  all  the 
camps  in  the  vicinity.  Here  is  another  Ladies'  Aid,  the  only  or- 
ganization in  all  that  part  of  a  sparsely  settled  country,  and  many 
miles  from  town  which  holds  eight  socials  a  year  and  every  social 
is  a  supper.  Those  suppers  bring  out  whole  families,  and  are 
the  biggest  annual  events.  Is  it  any  wonder?  The  woman  on 
the  Range  has  a  lonesome  time  of  it.  Ranches  are  far  apart.  She 
rarely  sees  her  neighbors  and  less  frequently  goes  to  town.  This 
woman  needs  social  activities  more  than  her  town  sister.  Yet 
only  nine  out  of  thirty-four  country  churches  have  women's  or- 
ganizations. 

Young  People's  Meetings  are  generally  held  Sunday  nights,  and 
the  majority  hold  an  occasional  social.  One  town  Young  People's 
organization  has  a  successful  Bible  Study  Class.  The  Purely  for 
Fun  Club,  as  its  name  implies,  is  purely  social  and  meets  twice 
a  month.  It  has  a  special  garden  party  once  a  year.  This  club  is 
one  of  the  activities  of  a  M.  E.  community  church  located  in  a  new 
dry-farming  community  which  is  having  a  struggle  to  make  both 
ends  meet,  but  is  doing  good  work  in  that  community.  The  people 
are  loyal,  even  enthusiastic.  There  is  not,  however,  even  a  church 
building,  let  alone  any  equipment  for  social  activities.  A  building 
is  desperately  needed  for  church  and  community  center,  nor  can 
the  members  provide  it  themselves.  Cases  of  this  kind  represent 
possibilities  for  the  most  effective  sort  of  home  mission  aid. 


89 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  Preachers'  Goings  and  Comings 

THIS  is  a  field  that  challenges  a  preacher.  The  love  of  a 
new  world  has  drawn  his  potential  flocks  and  with  them 
a  pastor  may  come  to  new  pastures  where  the  satisfaction 
of  creative  pioneer  work  is  not  its  least  attraction.  Settlements 
have  grown  up  almost  over  night.  People  have  come  from  all 
over  the  East,  Middle  West  and  Southwest.  Many  families  live 
far  from  their  neighbors.  Leadership  is  the  challenging  need  and 
it  is  primarily  the  task  of  the  Church  to  furnish  and  develop  it. 
The  initial  handicap  is  that  here  people,  from  a  matter  of  habit, 
do  not  yearn  for  church  ministry  as  they  do  in  other  parts  of 
the  country.  Their  traditions  do  not  include  it.  It  is  the  preacher 
who  must  "sell"  the  idea  of  religion  and  the  Church.  No  one  else 
will  do  it.  He  must  be  a  "builder  of  something  out  of  nothing — 
a  pioneer  of  the  Gospel,  creator  as  well  as  evangelist." 

The  Vagrant  Minister 

One  of  the  most  startling  facts  brought  out  by  this  survey 
is  the  degree  to  which  the  ministers  have  been  transient.  Always 
a  detriment  to  effective  work,  this  lack  of  permanency  is  especially 
unfortunate  in  a  country  of  such  rapid  growth  and  so  transient 
a  population.  It  takes  more  than  average  time  to  win  people's 
confidence  because  they  do  not  accept  the  Church  per  sc.  There 
are  problems  enough  to  be  met  when  a  preacher  "hog-ties,"  as  the 
Western  slang  puts  it,  meaning  when  he  stays  on  the  job.  Rut  the 
preachers  have  come  and  gone  along  with  the  rest.  Three  of  the 
forty-five  churches  organized  for  ten  years  or  more  have  had  the 
same  preacher  throughout  the  period,  and  five  more  churches  have 
had  only  two  pastors.  But  seven  churches  have  changed  pastors 
three  times,  ten  have  changed  four,  seven  have  changed  five,  six 
have  changed  six,  five  have  changed  seven,  one  has  changed  eight 
and  one  has  changed  nine  times  during  this  period.  About  half 
of  the  country  and  village  churches,  38  per  cent,  of  the  town,  and 
one-fourth  of   the  city   churches  have   had   five   or   more  pastors 

90 


THE  PREACHERS'  GOINGS  AND  COMINGS 

during  the  last  ten  years.  Of  the  churches  organized  within  the 
last  ten  years,  ten  have  had  one  pastor,  eight  have  had  two,  one 
has  had  three,  three  have  had  four,  one  has  had  six,  one  has  had 
seven  and  two  have  had  no  regular  pastors  during  the  entire  time. 
These  men  have  indeed  had  the  spirit  of  wanderlust.  They  have 
scarcely  stayed  long  enough  to  get  acquainted  with  their  task. 

Lapses  between  pastors  are  revealed.     The  changing  has  meant 


NUMBER  OF  PASTORS  DURING  PAST  TEN  YEARS 


Two-thirds  of  the  churches  have  had  four  or  more  posLors 
during  the  last  ten  years 


CHART  VIII 


loss  of  time  to  three-fourths  of  the  churches.  Thus,  of  the  group 
of  churches  organized  ten  years  or  more,  city  churches  have  been 
vacant  2.5  per  cent,  of  the  ten  years,  town  churches  6  per  cent,  of 
the  time,  village  churches  11  per  cent,  and  country  churches  17 
per  cent,  of  the  time.  The  churches  organized  in  the  last  ten 
years,  of  which  the  majority  are  in  small  hamlets  and  the  open 
country,  have  been  vacant  20  per  cent,  of  the  time.  Again  the, 
churches  in  the  larger  centers  fare  better. 

Distribution  of  Pastors 

The  churches  in  the  four  counties  are  at  present  being  served 
by  forty  ministers  who  have  been  a  long  time  in  church  service, 
but  only  a  short  time  in  their  present  fields.  Their  average  length 
of  time  in  their  present  charge  is  only  two  and  one-third  years. 
Twelve  of  the  forty-one  present  pastors  have  been  in  their  parishes 
less  than  a  year,  and  fourteen  more  have  been  serving  from  one 

91 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

to  two  years  inclusive.  Thirty-two  ministers  give  their  entire  time 
to  the  ministry.  Eight  have  some  other  occupation  in  addition  to 
their  church  work.  One  is  a  student,  and  the  rest  are  ranchers. 
These  eight  men  serve  eleven  churches  in  the  four  counties  and 
eight  churches  outside.  Thirteen  churches  were  without  regular 
pastors  at  the  time  of  the  survey,  but  five  churches  were  only 
temporarily  pastorless— transiency  caught  in  the  act !  Four  of  the 
thirteen  were  being  supplied  by  local  or  travelling  preachers,  one 
a  woman  homesteader.  The  remaining  fifty-seven  churches,  there- 
fore, were  being  served  by  forty  regular  ministers,  and  two  resident 
social  workers  who  take  care  of  a  Baptist  Mission  at  a  mining 
village  in  Sheridan  County.  The  regular  ministers  also  serve  twenty 
churches  in  other  counties,  making  a  total  of  seventy-seven  churches, 
or  1.87  churches  per  man.  This  is  a  slightly  lower  proportion  of 
ministers  per  church  than  the  region  averages. 

How  the  ministers  are  divided  up  so  that  they  will  go  around 
is  shown  in  the  following  table.  The  sixteen  preaching  points  and 
missions  which  these  same  men  also  serve  are  not  included  because 
in  general  they  do  not  take  the  same  amount  of  time  as  a  regular 
church.* 

Preachers 

Preachers  zvith  No  Other  zi'ith   Other 

Occupation  Occupation 

Serving  one  church 18   (B-3,  H— 5,  S— 8,  U— 2)  3  (H— 2,  U— 1) 

Serving  two  churches...  9   (B— 1,  H— 3,  S— 2.  U— 3)  1  ( U— 1) 

Serving  three  churches..  3   (  ....,  H— 1,   S— 1,  U— 1 )  2  ( ,  U— 2) 

Serving  four  churches. .  .  2  ( ,  U — 2) 

Serving  five  churches. .  .     2    ( U — 2) 

Total  32  8 

The  denominational  basis  of  church  organization,  as  a  preceding 
chapter  shows,  leads  to  an  uneven  distribution  of  churches  and 
ministers.  H  it  were  not  for  denominational  lines,  it  would  be 
possible  to  make  a  better  distribution  of  the  ministers  so  as  to  give 
a  larger  proportion  of  the  communities  a  resident  minister.  The 
centers  have  an  abundance  of  ministers,  but  outside  the  centers 
there  are  too  few.  Thus,  thirty-three  of  the  churches  have  resident 
preachers,  but  twenty-two,  or  two-thirds,  of  these  churches  are 
located  in  centers  which  have  other  resident  ministers.  More  than 
half  of  the  churches  with  resident  pastors  are  town  or  city  churches. 
Only  )ii)ic  communities  have  one  or  more  resident  ministers  serving 
a  single  church  on  full  time.     One  of  the.se  commimities  is  the  city, 

*  The  caiiital  letters  in  parentheses  in  the  Table  indicate  the  respective 
counties,  Beaverhead,  Hutches,  Sheridan,  Union. 

92 


THE  PREACHERS'  GOINGS  AND  COMINGS 


three  are  the  towns,  one  is  a  village  community  in  Beaverhead,  one 
the  mining  town  with  the  two  social  workers,  and  three  are  country 
communities.  Only  eighteen  communities  have  such  full-time  resi- 
dent pastors.  Ten  other  churches  have  pastors  living  adjacent  to 
their  buildings,  but  in  each  case  the  pastor  also  serves  other  churches, 
or  has  other  occupation.  Fourteen  churches  have  pastors  living 
from  five  to  eighteen  miles  distant,  four  have  ministers  living  from 
eighteen  to  thirty-five  miles  distant.     One  has  its  pastor  living  fifty 


RESIDENCE  OF  THE  MINISTERS 


Churches 


n 


Only  about  every  other   church 
has   a  resident  minister 


CHART   IX 


miles  away,  one  sixty-five  and  one   120  miles.     Four  pastors  live 
outside  their  counties. 

An  adequate  parsonage  is  one  means  of  keeping  a  resident  pastor. 
About  half  of  the  churches  have  parsonages.  Of  the  forty  churches 
with  buildings,  thirty-four  have  parsonages  and  one  country  pastor 
has  a  parsonage  and  no  church  building.  Three  parsonages  were 
not  being  used  at  the  time  of  the  survey. 

The  residence  of  pastors  and  the  distribution  of  pastoral  service 
have  a  clear  relation  to  growth.  The  pastor  is  ordinarily  responsible 
for  the  evangelistic  success  of  the  church.  If  a  pastor  is  non-resident 
or  has  too  large  a  territory  to  serve,  his  personal  contribution  is 
lessened.  Of  the  churches  having  resident  pastors,  two-thirds  made 
a  net  gain.  Of  those  with  non-resident  pastors,  only  one-third 
gained. 

93 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

Pastors'  Salaries 

The  question  of  ministers'  salaries  is  iniijortant.  Inadequate  sal- 
aries have  undouljtedly  caused  some  of  the  restlessness  among  the 
ministry.  Salaries  vary  as  the  minister  is  on  full  or  on  j)art  time, 
as  shown  in  the   following  table.     The   full-time  one-church  man 


A    PAR.SOXAC.I:   BUT    NO   CiiURCH 

The  M.  E.  pastor  shown  here  with  his  wife  and  bahy  has  a  house  but  no  church  building 
on  his  circuit.     He  preaches   in  three  school   liouses. 

commands  a  wage  higher  than  the  man  with  more  churches,  or  the 
man  with  another  occupation. 


Minister 

Full  Time 

7cith  Other 

Full  Time 

Part   Time 

Minister 

Occupation 

Minister 

Minister 

7iw7/;  Afore 

and  More 

with  One 

with    One 

Than  One 

Than  One 

CJnirch 

Church 

Church 

Church 

Maximum  salary  . . 

.       $2,650 

$1,550 

$3,250 

$1,900 

Minimum  salary   .  . 

600 

840 

880 

100 

A.verage   

1,835 

1,195 

1.507 

610 

These  average  salary  figures  may  be  compared  with  the  average 
salary  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  county  secretaries  for  the  entire  United 
States  which  was  $2,265  in  1920. 


Training  of  Ministers 

Standards  of   the  varicnis   denominations  as  to  the  educational 
qualifications   of   the   ministers   vary.      Eighteen   of    the    forty-one 

94 


THE  PREACHERS'  GOINGS  AND  COMINGS 

pastors  are  graduates  of  colleges  and  theological  seminaries;  six 
others  are  college  graduates,  three  are  graduates  of  seminaries  or 
Bible  Schools,  but  have  no  college  training.  One  minister  is  going 
to  seminary.  Ten  ministers  have  had  no  special  training  for  the 
ministry. 


95 


CHAPTER  VII 

Negro  and  Indian  Work 

Racial  Cordiality 

IN  this  Range  country,  there  are  not  many  negroes  in  proportion 
to  the  white  settlers,  and  the  relations  between  the  races  are 
cordial.  Beaverhead  County  has  twenty-eight  negroes  in  Dillon 
and  Lima  communities.  Sheridan  County  has  a  total  of  about  295. 
A  small  neighborhood,  Cat  Creek,  six  miles  west  of  the  city  of 
Sheridan  has  about  250  negroes.  There  are  six  negro  farm  owners 
at  Cat  Creek  with  farms  of  320  acres  each.  Considerable  com- 
munity spirit  has  been  developed,  which  is  manifested  by  increased 
friendliness  and  by  pride  in  the  farms.  The  Plum  Grove  Club  has 
sixteen  members,  and  meets  twice  a  month  for  discussions  on  crop 
welfare  and  for  social  times.  There  is  a  Sunday  school,  with  an 
enrollment  of  fifteen  and  an  average  attendance  of  ten,  which  is 
kept  going  for  eight  months  of  the  year.  Preaching  services  are 
held   occasionally. 

The  negroes  in  the  city  c^f  Sheridan  are  hard-working  and  in- 
dustrious. They  are  mainly  laborers,  but  some  have  small  businesses. 
Organizations  include  a  Mutual  Aid  Society  with  fifty  members 
and  three  lodges  which  are  all  inactive  at  present.  The  National 
Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Colored  People  has  a  local 
branch  with  100  members.  A  recently  organized  Athletic  Club  of 
fifteen  members  hopes  to  branch  out  into  a  regular  athletic  associa- 
tion. 

Colored  Churches 

There  are  two  colored  churclies— a  Methodist  Episcopal  and  a 
Baptist  North.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  was  organized  in  1908; 
the  Baptist  in  the  following  year.  Both  churches  have  resident 
pastors,  serving  but  one  point  each.  Each  denomination  has  a  church 
building  and  a  parsonage.  The  combined  value  of  the  church  build- 
ings is  $3,500,  of  the  parsonages  $500.  The  Baptist  church  has 
recently  been   rebuilt.      Both   churches   use    weekly   envelopes    for 

96 


NEGRO  AND  INDIAN  WORK 

raising  their  money  which  amounted  to  $2,887.14  last  year,  $1,164.25 
of  which  was  by  subscription,  and  $680  by  collection.  There  was 
no  surplus  or  deficit.  From  this  fund  $938.79  was  spent  for  salaries, 
$142.17  for  missions  and  benevolences,  and  $1,500.04  for  rebuilding 
and  repairs.    The  Baptist  church  receives  home  mission  aid  of  $600. 

The  Methodist  church  has  thirty-six  members,  having  made  a 
net  gain  of  seven  in  the  year  preceding  the  survey.  The  Baptist 
church  has  twenty-six  members  whose  membership  has  remained 
constant.  The  total  net  active  membership  of  the  two  churches 
is  fifty-one. 

Each  church  holds  eight  Sunday  preaching  services  a  month. 
Both  have  Sunday  schools.  The  Methodist  Sunday  school,  with  an 
enrollment  of  sixteen,  is  kept  going  the  year  round ;  the  Baptist 
Sunday  school,  with  an  enrollment  of  twelve,  meets  for  only  seven 
months.  The  Methodist  church  has  three  other  organizations — a 
Woman's  Missionary  Society,  a  Willing  Workers  and  Ladies'  Aid, 
and  a  Literary  Society  for  both  sexes  with  a  membership  of  fifty. 
The  Baptists  have  one  organization,  a  Christian  Aid,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  twelve,  to  which  both  men  and  women  belong. 

One  church  has  had  six,  the  other  five,  pastors  in  the  last  ten 
years.  The  present  pastors  are  graduates  of  both  college  and  semi- 
nary. 

A  friendly  feeling  exists  between  the  white  and  colored  people 
in  Sheridan,  which  is  manifested  by  a  willingness  on  the  part  of 
the  white  churches  to  help  the  colored.  The  colored  ministers  are 
included  in  the   Sheridan  Ministerial  Union. 

Indian  Missions 

Part  of  the  Crow  Creek  Indian  Reservation  extends  into  the 
southeastern  part  of  Hughes  County,  and  about  70  per  cent,  of  the 
people  living  in  this  section  of  Hughes  are  Indians.  All  are  farmers 
owning  their  own  land. 

An  Episcopal  Indian  Mission  was  established  here  in  1892. 
The  pastor,  who  lives  in  Fort  Thompson,  conducts  one  morning 
service  a  month.  There  are  twenty-six  members,  of  whom  twenty- 
one  are  active.  There  is  no  Sunday  school,  but  a  Ladies'  Aid  with 
five  members  meets  every  week  and  has  twice  as  large  an  attendance 
as  it  has  enrollment. 

There  is  also  a  Catholic  Mission  located  near  the  Episcopal 
Mission,  which  was  started  about  1911.  The  priest  comes  from 
outside  the  county  and  holds  one  mass  each  month.  There  are 
about  fifteen  families  in  the  membership. 

97 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Non-Protestant  Work 

Roman  Catholic 

THE  Roman  Catholic  work  is  the  strongest  non-Protestant 
religions  activity  in  all  the  four  counties  and  naturally  has 
a  large  number  of  foreign-born  and  Spanish-American  com- 
municants in  its  parishes.  There  is  a  total  of  twenty-four  organized 
Catholic   churches.      Beaverhead    County    has   two,    Hughes   three. 


The  grounds  in  whi 


AN  OASIS   IN  THE  DESERT 


tliis  Catliolic  Church  and  parsonaRe   stand  make  this  tlie 
in  a  barren  waste  ex'ending  for  miles  on  every  side. 


vSheridan  five  and  Union  fourteen,  llie  city  of  Sheridan,  and  each 
of  the  towns  supports  a  Catholic  church  ;  eight  are  located  in  vil- 
lages, two  of  which  are  in  Sheridan  mining  camps,  and  twelve  in 
small  hamlets.  Nine  priests,  seven  of  whom  live  in  these  counties, 
serve  the  twenty-four  churches.  Four  churches,  two  in  villages  and 
two  in  small  hamlets,  are  served  by  priests  living  outside  the  county. 
Each  of  the  twenty-four  churches  has  a  building.  There  are 
six  priests'  houses,  valued  at  $21,000,  and  two  parochial  school 
buildings.  The  value  of  church  buildings  is  estimated  at  a  total 
value  of  $98,800.     The  total  value  of  church  property,  including 

98 


KEY    AND    SYMBOLS 


g>^' 


I  Aboriigntd   Ch.rth.     Q  Inii 


ROMAN   CATHOLIC   CHURCHES    AND   PARISHES,    UNION   COUNTY,    NEW    MEXICO 

99 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHAXGIXG  FROXTIER 

land,  is  $211,025.  None  of  the  churches  have  any  social  equipment. 
The  total  receipts  of  all  the  churches  last  year  amounted  to  $23,157.56 
and  this  amount  was  spent  largely  on  salaries  and  church  upkeep. 
The  only  churches  receiving  aid  are  two  in  Union,  each  of  which 
received  $500.     The  average  salary  is  $892. 

The  total  membership  is  about  5,152,  which  is  within  668  of  the 
total  Protestant  figure  for  seventy  churches.  The  average  total 
membership  is  215  per  church.  Only  three  of  the  twenty-four 
churches  have  as  few  as  fifty  members  or  less. 

Thirteen  churches  have  Catechism  and  Confirmation  classes, 
with  a  total  enrollment  of  416.  Attendance  is  high;  it  ec[uals  77 
per  cent,  of  the  enrollment.  There  are  seventeen  other  organiza- 
tions, three  for  men,  ten  for  women,  one  for  boys,  one  for  girls 
and  two  for  young  people.  The  total  enrollment  is  771.  The 
church  in  Sheridan  has  a  parochial  school. 

Catholic  church  membership  increased  more  rapidly  than  the 
Protestant  in  Beaverhead  and  Hughes  and  less  rapidly  in  Sheridan 
from  1890  to  1916,  according  to  the  United  States  religious  census. 
In  Union,  from  1906  to  1916,  the  Protestant  membership  increased 
more  rapidly  than  the  Catholic.  Catholic  membership  is  greater 
than  Protestant  membership  in  every  county  but  Hughes.  There 
are  a  total  of  nineteen  Catholic  mission  centers  in  Union  and  Beaver- 
head. 

Penitentes 

There  are  about  five  groups  of  Penitentes  in  Union  County,  with 
an  average  of  twenty-five  members  each.  X"o  women  belong.  The 
Penitentes  are  all  Spanish-.Vmericans  and  arc  largely  sheep  and 
cattle  herders.  Their  small  adobe  and  stone  buildings  are  called 
"morada."  Meetings  are  held  in  Pent,  on  the  last  three  days  of 
Holy  Week.  During  the  ceremonies,  members  inflict  personal  pun- 
ishment, often  carrying  it  to  an  extreme.  This  sect,  which  was 
at  one  time  distributed  over  the  whole  territory  of  Xew  Mexico, 
since  1850  has  retreated  towards  the  north.  As  to  their  origin, 
Twitchell  in  his  "History  of  X^ew  Mexico"  says:  'Tt  is  possible 
that  the  Penitentes,  particularly  by  their  scourging  themselves  with 
whips  made  of  cactus,  come  from  the  order  of  Flagellants  which 
was  a  bodv  of  religious  j^ersons  who  believed  by  whipping  and 
scourging  themselves  for  religious  discipline  they  could  appease  the 
divine  wratli  against  their  sins  and  the  sins  of  the  age."  The 
Penitentes  are  not  recognized  by  the  Catholic  Church. 

100 


NON-PROTESTANT  WORK 
Latter  Day  Saints 

Dillon,  in  Beaverhead,  and  the  city  of  Sheridan,  each  have  a 
Mormon  church.  There  is  a  church  building  in  Dillon,  and  the 
one  in  Sheridan  is  now  being  erected.  There  is  also  an  inactive 
church  at  Lima,  organized  in  1900.  The  Mormon  membership  is 
eighty-five  in  Dillon  and  thirty-six  in  Sheridan.  Both  churches 
have  Sunday  schools,  with  a  total  enrollment  of  seventy  and  relief 
societies  with  a  total  membership  of  thirty-five. 

Christian  Science 

There  are  two  Christian  Science  churches,  located  in  Dillon  and 
in  the  city  of  Sheridan,  both  organized  in  1919.  The  Dillon  church 
meets  in  an  office,  but  the  Sheridan  church  has  a  building  valued 
at  $2,500.  The  church  membership  is  about  170.  Both  churches 
have  Sunday-schools,  with  an  enrollment  of  about  thirty  in  Dillon 
and  about  fifty  in  Sheridan. 

Theosophical 

The  city  of  Sheridan  has  a  Theosophical  Society  which  meets 
in  a  real  estate  office.  The  membership  is  seventeen.  Six  new 
members  were  taken  in  last  year.  Meetings  are  held  every  Friday 
night.  Two  meetings  a  month  are  for  members  only,  and  two  are 
public   lectures. 


CHAPTER  IX 

Seeing  It  Whole 

THE  Range,  our  last  real  frontier,  has  grown  up.  Round-ups 
are  miniature  and  staged.  All  the  land  is  fenced.  The 
cowboy  is  passing,  if  not  gone.  Even  "chaps"  and  a  som- 
brero are  rare,  unless  worn  by  a  "Dude"  from  the  East.  The 
last  100  years  have  seen  a  remarkable  growth  and  change  in  this 
country.  The  cattleman  and  the  cowboy  have  largely  given  way 
to  the  homesteader,  and  he  in  turn  has  become  a  regular  farmer 
or,  as  he  prefers  it,  "rancher." 

The  Land  of  the   Homesteader 

The  cowman  used  to  insist  that  no  one  could  make  a  living 
on  the  semi-arid  Range.  For  many  years  "there  was  no  sign  of 
permanent  settlement  on  the  Plains  and  no  one  thought  of  this 
region  as  frontier."  Then  the  Homesteader  came.  "And  always, 
just  back  of  the  frontier,"  says  Emerson  Hough  in  "The  Passing 
of  the  Frontier,"  "advancing,  receding,  crossing  it  this  way  and 
that,  succeeding  and  failing,  hoping  and  despairing,  but  steadily 
advancing  in  the  net  result — has  come  that  portion  of  the  popula- 
tion which  builds  homes  and  lives  in  them,  and  which  is  not  content 
with  a  blanket  for  a  bed  and  the  sky  for  a  roof  above." 

Homesteaders  are  good  stock  upon  which  to  build  a  civilization. 
Many  of  them  are  sturdy  folk  who  have  come  to  the  A\'est  to 
establish  homes  and  with  determination  are  doing  so.  Of  course, 
there  are  the  habitual  drifters  who  have  always  been  failures  be- 
cause they  never  stayed  long  enough  anywhere  to  succeed.  But 
they  prove  up  on  their  claims  and  then  go  elsewhere,  drifting  still. 
Others  leave,  holding  their  land  as  an  investment,  because  they  have 
not  found  the  land  or  the  circumstances  up  to  their  expectations. 
The  free  land  has  gradually  been  taken  up,  so  that  there  is  very 
little  of  it  left  in  any  one  of  these  counties.  The  population  is  be- 
coming less  transient  on  this  account.  Afore  people  are  staying 
because  there  is  no  luore  free  land,  and  no  other  newer  frontier. 

\\'h;it,  then,  has  the  survey  sliown  of  tlie  Range?  How  has  it 
fared  in  its  100  years  of  growth?     \\'hat  are  its  assets  as  well  as 

102 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 

its  needs?  In  a  word,  what  has  it  made  of  itself?  The  very  pres- 
ence of  real  farm-houses  on  dry  farming  land  and  mesas  speaks 
in  itself  of  a  small  world  conquered.  Of  course,  there  are  farm- 
houses in  the  valleys.  But  sheer  grit  is  all  that  achieves  a  house 
and  a  barn  and  a  wind-shield  of  trees  out  on  the  mesa.  Lumber 
is  expensive  and  must  be  hauled  from  the  nearest  market.  Trees, 
so  wary  of  growing  there,  must  be  watched,  watered  and  carefully 


This  homesteader  of  ten  years'  standing  has  succeeded  in  cultivating  an  attractive  garden 
patch  even  in  the  thirsty  soil  of  New  IMexico. 

tended  every  day  for  the  first  five  years.  A  home  on  the  plains 
means  more  sweat  and  toil  and  efifort  than  a  home  anywhere  else 
in  our  country. 


Self-Help   the   Rule 

The  development  of  the  Range  has  been  haphazard.  Any  Land 
Company  has  been  able  to  work  up  a  "boom"  at  will.  Not  even 
misrepresentations  and  uncounted,  unlimited  hardships  have  stirred 
the  Government  to  form  and  follow  any  better  colonization  policy 
for  its  unoccupied  lands  than  its  "Homestead  laws."  The  western 
farmer  has  never  been  cherished  by  his  Government  as  has  been 

103 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

the  Canadian  farmer.  Until  the  comparatively  recent  development 
(^f  county  agent  services  and  the  r\'irm  Bureau,  he  has  had  to  work 
for  everything  he  got  with  very  little  help  from  any  one. 

An  intense  economic  struggle  is  behind  the  homesteaders.  They 
begin  from  the  bottom  up.  Some  are  just  now  beginning,  but  for 
the  majority  the  difficulty  of  getting  a  start  is  over.  But  the  last 
few  years  have  been  hard  for  every  farmer  and  rancher  on  the 
Range,  old  settler  and  new  alike.  No  part  of  the  country  can 
afYord  to  have  the  men  on  the  land  as  hard  pressed  as  these  men 
have  been.  Too  large  a  proportion  of  the  farms  have  been  mort- 
gaged  for   the   economic   well-being  of    a   nation. 


A   COMMUNITY   RENDEZVOUS 
Often  the  general  store  is  the  cnly  gathering  place  for  neighbors  miles  apart. 

Made  up  largely  of  people  from  the  Middle  \\'est,  this  country 
has  taken  on  some  of  the  characteristics  of  that  region — in  the  de- 
velopment of  small  and  large  centers,  and  in  the  improved  roads 
and  schools.  But  on  account  of  the  nature  of  the  soil,  it  will  be 
many  years  before  the  Range  becomes  a  second  Middle  West,  if 
ever.  The  land  will  not  support  as  many  people  per  square  mile. 
Much  of  the  area  will  remain,  for  years  to  come,  a  land  of  large 
distances  and  comparatively  few  people.  The  future  of  the  Range 
is  not  to  be  summed  up  by  saying,  "Go  to,  this  country  will  soon 
become  a  second  Middle  ^^'est.    Just  give  it  time." 

"If  you  want  to  see  neighbor  Adams,  you'll  find  him  in  town  on 
Saturday  afternoon,  most  like  round  Perkins'  store."  Such  will 
be  the  advice  given  in  regard  to  meeting  almost  any  farmer  living 

104 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 

in  almost  any  part  of  these  counties.  As  roads  have  improved,  and 
autos  have  come  to  be  generally  used  by  the  farmers  as  a  means 
of  transportation,  the  trade  centers  along  the  railroads,  especially 
the  county  seats,  have  increased  greatly  in  size  and  importance. 
This  growth  of  the  centers  is  characteristic  of  the  whole  United 
States.  Until  after  1820  less  than  5  per  cent,  of  the  American 
people  lived  in  cities  of  8,000  population  and  over.  In  1790  there 
were  but  five  cities  in  the  United  States  having  a  population  of 
8,000.  Now  a  majority  live  in  the  cities ;  but  the  West  does  not 
yet  have  the  urban  development  of  the  East. 

Importance  of  the  County  Seat 

As  the  county  seats  are  coming  gradually  to  have  more  of  a 
direct  relationship  to  the  country  around  them,  they  should  assume 
more  responsibility  toward  their  counties.  Through  their  organi- 
zations and  Civic  Leagues  of  business  men,  these  centers  are  just 
waking  up  to  the  fact  that  the  towns  are  dependent  upon  them. 
As  one  farmer  in  Union  County  said,  "There  is  no  permanent  pros- 
perity except  that  based  on  the  farmer.  If  our  town  is  big  and 
top-heavy  and  the  farmers  are  taxed  heavily  to  keep  the  town  up, 
it  is  killing  the  goose  that  laid  the  golden  eggs.  The  1,000  farmers 
tributary  to  Clayton  must  pay  the  bills  of  everything  brought  in 
because,  ultimately,  the  products  of  the  farm  have  to  pay  for  every- 
thing. When  conditions  are  bad,  the  farmer  has  to  pay  the  bill 
and  keep  going  besides."  If  the  development  of  the  future  is  to 
be  sound  each  side  will  do  its  best  to  understand  the  other. 

A   Centralized   School   System 

School  .systems  are  becoming  better.  People  realize  the  ad- 
vantages of  education.  More  and  more  young  people  are  being 
sent  to  college.  But  as  distances  are  gradually  being  overcome, 
schools  should  be  administered  wholly  from  the  county  seat.  The 
County  Unit  plan  does  away  with  the  local  school  district  boards. 
This  system  equalizes  burdens  and  advantages,  minimizes  dissen- 
sion, and  conduces  to  economy  and  efficiency.  The  average  school 
board  has  no  standards  by  which  to  judge  an  applicant  for  teach- 
ing. One  disadvantage  of  the  district  system  is  that  so  often 
daughters  are  put  in  as  teachers.  The  county  unit  plan  means 
centralized  control.  The  county  superintendent,  who  is  selected 
solely   because    of    education,    training   and    successful    experience, 

105 


THE   CHURCH  OX   THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

takes  over  most  of  the  duties  which  the  various  (hstricts  now  have. 
This  means  a  comprehensive  and  efficient  plan  of  education  for 
the  whole  county. 

Social  Needs 

Other  great  needs  are  a  better  organized  social  life  and  more 
recreational  activities.     Outside  the  larger  center,  there  is  a  great 


MARY,    CALL   THE   CATTLE    HOME  ! 

'Mary"   is  a   homesteader's   wife  and   the   Range   is   a   long  way    from   the    Sands 
o'  Dec,  and  "Mary"   herself  is  iisually  a  long  way   frein  anywhere. 


lack  of  social  life.  Social  organizations  are  fairly  al)undant,  l)ut 
they  are  almost  all  city  or  town  aiTairs.  Living  on  the  land  is  a  more 
solitary  afTair  for  w^omen  than  for  men.  The  men  drive  to  town, 
but  the  women  stay  home  week  in  and  week  out  with  few  diversions. 
A  postmistress  in  Montana  told  about  two  women  living  on  large 
cattle  ranches  about  six  miles  apart,  a  small  distance  in  that  country. 
She  said  to  one  of  them :  "There  is  Mrs.  Denis  at  the  door  just 
going  out.  Did  you  see  her?"  Hie  other  lady  answered:  "Yes, 
but  1  hardly  know  Mrs.  Denis."  They  had  lived  there  for  more 
than  ten  years,  near  neighbors  for  the  Range  country,  and  yet  barely 
acquainted ! 

106 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 
The  Part  of  the  Church 

Finally,  there  is  the  duty  of  the  Church.  "The  churches  per- 
formed an  inestimable  social  function  in  frontier  expansion,"  says 
John  Dewev.  "They  were  the  rallying^  points  not  only  of  respecta- 
bility but  of  decency  and  order  in  the  midst  of  a  rough  and  tur- 
bulent population.  They  were  the  representatives  of  social  neigh- 
borliness  and  all  the  higher  interests  of  the  communities."  The 
Church  has  played  an  important  role  in  the  past,  but  its  position 
in  this  same  country  to-day  is  disappointing.  For  some  reason  it 
has  not  become  essential  to  the  landscape. 

The  immense  distances  and  scattered  population  have,  of  course. 


-  _Mj%^S^^ '  ajbm 


WAITING  AT  THE   CHURCH 

A  Christian  Church  in  Union  County  which  draws  its  congregation  fr 


been  a  great  problem.  All  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi 
makes  up  70.9  per  cent,  of  the  total  area  of  the  United  States,  while 
the  western  area  has  only  30  per  cent,  of  the  total  population.  In 
1850,  it  had  only  8.6  per  cent,  of  the  population.  The  average 
density  per  square  mile  in  the  United  States  is  35.5  persons. 
Illinois  has  115.7  people  per  square  mile,  but  Montana  has  an 
average  density  of  only  3.8,  Wyoming  of  2,  New  Mexico  of  2.9 
and  South  Dakota  of  8.3  persons. 

Much  of  the  Range  has  never  had  the  chance  to  go  to  church, 
and  one  result  of  the  lack  of  church  facilities  in  the  past  is  that 
it  is  difficult  now  to  create  a  church  spirit.  Homesteading  is  no 
fun.  It  means  being  away  from  doctors  and  comforts,  getting 
ahead  little  by  little,  facing  set-backs,  discouragements  and  loneli- 
ness. Of  course,  a  homesteader  is  absorbed  by  his  place.  Unless 
he  is  simply  proving  up  on  his  claim  for  the  purpose  of  selling  it, 

107 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

he  must  be  absorbed  if  he  is  to  succeed.  He  broke  with  most  of 
his  home  ties  before  he  came  and,  after  arriving,  has  not  had 
time  to  go  adventuring  for  any  but  those  simple  things  which  he 
must  have.  "Church"  is  one  of  the  things  he  left  behind.  Church 
services  have  rarely  followed  him,  and  generally  he  has  been  too 
busy  to  seek  them.  Even  if  he  were  minded  to  hunt  them  out,  it 
takes    more    than    average   courage    to    be    "different"    when    one's 


HITTING   THE   TRAIL 

W'iW  tliis  settler  find  a   church  welcome   in   his  new  home? 

neighbors  are  largely  of  a  common  mind.     So  the  absence  of  church 
has  become  a  habit. 

But  probably  the  greatest  hindrance  to  church  work  has  been 
the  shifting  population.  Churches  have  trained  lay  leaders  only  to 
have  them  leave  "en  masse."  Out  of  the  fourteen  churches  which 
have  been  abandoned  in  these  four  counties,  nine  have  gone  under 
because  their  members  melted  away. 

The  carrying  over  of  the  care-free  frontier  spirit  often  makes 
for  a  general  slackness.  This  spirit  has  in  it  the  freedom  of  the 
West,  the  perfect  democracy  of  the  cowboy,  and  is  essentially  in- 
dividualistic. If  directed  into  right  channels,  it  should  be  an  asset 
instead  of  a  drawback. 

108 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 
What  the   Frontier   Church   Is 

Five  sentences  sum  up  the  Church  on  the  Range.  It  is  a  church 
of  the  center.  It  is,  in  the  main,  a  church  of  the  middle-aged.  It 
has  been  a  church  with  haphazard  leadership.  It  is  a  church  of 
past  achievements  and  of  unlimited  future  possibilities,  provided 
it  has  an  inspired  and  sustained  leadership.  It  is  a  church  which 
needs  a  social  vision. 

It  is  natural  that,  where  the  centers  along  the  railroad  have  been 
the  only  "sure"  things  in  a  country  of  constantly  shifting  settlements, 
the  largest  number  of  churches  have  been  established  in  such  centers. 
But  these  churches  have  not  reached  the  great  unevangelized  areas 
around  them.  The  "isolated,  unattached  Christian,"  who  lives  per- 
haps only  a  few  miles  from  town,  has  been  neglected  by  the  church 
in  the  center. 

It  is  natural,  too,  that  this  should  be  largely  a  church  of  the 
middle-aged.  What  is  there  to  attract  the  young  people?  Many  of 
the  church  organizations  have  no  buildings.  With  few  exceptions, 
buildings  are  equipped  for  little  else  but  preaching  and  listening. 
Nearly  half  of  the  churches  have  less  than  four  services  a  month. 
The  Sunday  schools  are  not  well  organized.  With  the  start  the 
Sunday  schools  now  have,  possibilities  are  unlimited  if  they  can 
be  conducted  on  a  more  business-like  basis.  Yet  these  young  people 
and  children  are  the  great  hope  of  the  church.  No  more  wide- 
awake, vigorous  young  people  are  to  be  found.  "If  only  the  Church 
could  work  out  something  that  would  last  through  the  week,"  said 
one  of  them,  "it  would  seem  more  real,"  But  in  many  communities 
the  women's  organization  is  not  only  the  sole  organization  in  the 
church,  outside  the  Sunday  school,  but  the  only  one  in  the  com- 
munity. 

The  work  has  been  haphazard.  Home  Mission  aid  has  been  spent 
out  of  all  proportion  to  fitness.  The  same  amount  now  received 
would  go  further,  eventually,  if  spent  in  fewer  places.  With  means 
and  leaders  adequate  for  a  small  area  only,  the  general  idea  of 
some  denominations  has  been  to  hold,  but  to  do  little  with  a  large 
area.  There  has  been  some  unnecessary  over-lapping  of  work. 
\\"ith  their  large  fields,  the  ministers  cannot  be  expected  to  do  more 
than  they  are  doing  at  present  which  is,  in  most  churches,  occasional 
preaching.  A  missionary  pastor  said,  concerning  one  of  his  charges 
in  a  neglected  community  in  Union,  "The  second  time  I  went  to 
preach  no  one  came.  Do  you  think  I'd  go  back  ?"  Under  the  present 
system  of  many  points  and  long  distances,  this  pastor  could  hardly 

109 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHAXGIXG  EROXTHJl 

afford  to  use  the  time  to  go  back.     Yet,  to  succeed,  church  niinisiry 
must  be  steadier  and  more  long-suffering. 

There  are  some  New  Americans  in  each  county,  but  they  are 
in  larger  numbers  in  Sheridan  and  Beaverhead.  A  large  number 
of  the  Spanish- Americans  in  Union  are  not  provided  for  by  the 
Catholic  church,  and  the  only  Protestant  work  for  them  in  the 
county,  a  Spanish  American  Mission  in  Clayton,  has  been  given 
up.  In  Sheridan  County  there  is  great  need  of  a  comprehensive 
program  that  shall  include  all  six  mines.  There  should  be  at  least 
two   communitv   houses  built   with    organized   social   activities   and 


rC^s^^^.^ 


THE   FAMILY    MANSION 

^^'ith  the  family  and  the  Union  County  doctor  in  front  cf  it.     The  family 
is    Spanish-American. 

evening  classes ;  the  staff  to  include  a  domestic  science  teacher. 
With  the  exception  of  one  class  for  half  a  dozen  Italian  mothers 
in  one  of  Sheridan's  mining  villages,  no  Americanization  work  is 
being  done  in  any  county.  The  churches  should  enlarge  their  vision 
so  as  to  include  the  New  Americans. 


What  the  Frontier  Church  Can  Be 


It  is  possible  for  the  Church  to  serve  this  kind  of  country  with 
its  scattered  people.  It  is  difficult  but  it  can  be  done.  Certain 
denominations  have  succeeded  with  what  they  call  a  "demonstration 
parish."  The  plan  is  exactly  the  same  as  that  of  the  experimental 
farms  conducted  by  the  Government.     A  comprehensive  seven-day- 

110 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 

a-week  plan,  which  has  in  mind  the  whole  man,  mind,  body  and 
soul,  in  place  of  the  old  circuit-rider  system,  is  the  program  of  the 
Congregational  Demonstration  Parish  in  Plateau  Valley,  Colorado. 
Six  thousand  feet  up  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Rockies,  this 
valley  is  shut  in  on  three  sides  by  rugged,  white-capped  mountains. 
It  is  thirty  miles  long,  from  one  to  six  miles  wide,  and  contains 
about  150  square  miles  of  territory.  This  is  a  small  world  in  itself, 
self-contained  by  the  nature  of  its  environment.  Of  the  3,500 
people,  750  live  in  the  four  small  villages  of  Collbran,  Plateau  City, 
Melina  and  Mesa.  The  one  great  industry  of  the  valley  is  stock- 
raising.  Farmers  have  devoted  themselves  chiefly  to  raising  beef 
cattle,  but  an  interest  in  dairying  is  increasing.  Pure-bred  stock 
is  now  the  goal  of  their  efforts. 

This  beautiful  mountain  valley  was  chosen  as  a  "model  parish" 
to  show  what  could  be  done  by  the  Church  throughout  a  large, 
thinly  settled  area.  Although  there  were  five  church  buildings  in 
the  valley,  the  church-going  habit  seemed  to  have  been  lost  or  never 
acquired,  possibly  because  religious  privileges  had  been  meager  and 
not  altogether  suited  to  the  peculiar  needs  of  the  people  and  the 
country.  It  is  doubtful  if  250  people  living  in  the  valley  were 
church  members  or  attendants,  while  not  more  than  200  children 
went  to  Sunday  school  regularly.  Few  persons,  however,  were  actu- 
ally hostile  toward  religion  or  the  Church.  Here  was  the  oppor- 
tunity and  the  challenge. 

The  work  centers  in  Collbran  village,  where  there  is  a  Congre- 
gational church  organization  and  building.  There  are  two  men 
on  the  staff.  The  pastor  has  charge  of  the  church  school,  the  Chris- 
tian Endeavor,  and  the  work  with  men  and  young  people  in  Collbran 
village.  He  also  does  visiting  throughout  the  valley.  The  Director 
of  Extension  Work  has  the  responsibility  for  establishing  and 
maintaining  out-stations,  financing  the  local  budget,  and  supervising 
the  activities  and  the  building  of  the  Community  House. 

This  Community  House  is  to  be  the  center  and  great  achieve- 
ment of  the  modern  socio-religious  program.  The  completed  build- 
ing will  have  rooms  and  equipment  for  an  ideal  church  school, 
kindergarten,  game  room,  library,  rest-room  and  men's  club.  The 
gymnasium  will  have  a  floor  space  seventy-five  by  forty  feet  and 
a  gallery ;  it  will  also  serve  as  an  auditorium,  while  a  stage,  dressing- 
rooms  and  a  moving-picture  booth  form  part  of  the  equipment. 
The  basement  will  have  billiard  room,  bowling  alleys,  lockers,  baths, 
dining  room  and  kitchen.  The  entire  cost  of  the  building  will  be 
approximately  $25,000,  to  be  financed  in  part  by  the  Congregational 

111 


THE   CHURCH  ON  THE  CHAXGIXG  FRONTIER 

Church  Building  Societ)^  and  in  part  by  local  pledges.  This  is 
Home   Mission   aid  well   spent. 

The  first  and  second  units  were  completed  and  opened  for  use 
on  Christmas  Day,  1921.  The  first  unit  is  the  auditorium.  The 
second  unit  contains  the  library,  assembly  room,  men's  room, 
women's  room,  large  billiard  room  and  two  offices  which  are  to 
be  used  as  headciuarters  for  the  boys'  and  girls'  organizations.  The 
third  unit  will  be  completed  in  the  summer  of  1922.  The  pastor 
and  extension  man  have  office  hours  in  the  morning.  In  the  after- 
noon, the  women's  rest  room,  with  its  easy  chair,  lounge  and  cribs 
for  babies,  and  the  men's  club  are  open.  The  billiard  and  reading 
rooms  are  open  from  one  to  five-thirty  and  the  library  is  open 
from  three-thirty  to  five.  This  library  already  has  1,200  books,  and 
there  are  shelves  for  3,800  more.  The  library  service  is  probably 
the  most  appreciated  part  of  the  work  for  it  fills  a  long  and  sorely 
felt  need.  In  the  evening,  the  men's  and  women's  rooms  are  open, 
and  the  reading  room  and  billiard  room  are  open  from  seven  to 
nine.  The  privileges  of  the  Community  House  are  for  each  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  valley  irrespective  of  church  or  creed. 

So  far  as  possible,  everything  enjoyed  at  the  center  is  to  be 
taken  to  the  furthest  circumference  of  the  valley.  The  equipment 
for  the  extension  work  consists  of  a  truck,  auto,  moving-picture 
machine  and  a  generator.  The  community  truck  is  used  to  furnish 
group  transportation  and  to  promote  inter-neighborhood  "mixing" 
in  competitive  and  other  ways.  The  Extension  Director  is  organizer, 
social  engineer  and  community  builder.  He  has  a  regular  circuit 
of  preaching  appointments  and  Sunday  schools.  His  program 
includes  a  one-hour  visit  to  four  schools  every  week.  Ten  minutes 
are  used  for  physical  exercises,  thirty  minutes  for  public  school 
music  with  the  cooperation  of  the  teacher  and  twenty  minutes  for 
religious  education.  He  takes  out  library  books  and  Sunday  school 
papers  to  the  teacher,  and  once  a  month  shows  educational  moving- 
pictures. 

The  people  are  already  responding  to  this  constructive  program. 
\\'ithin  four  months,  the  Collbran  Church  School  has  increased 
nearly  150  per  cent,  in  average  daily  attendance.  The  Christian 
Endeavor  Society  includes  practically  all  the  young  people  of  the 
intermediate  age.  The  Scouts  and  Camp  Fire  organizations  are 
very  active  and  recently  held  a  dual  meet  with  the  Mesa  organiza- 
tions. Wrestling,  basket-ball,  hog-tying  and  three-legged  races  were 
some  of  the  events.  Within  the  year,  thirty-seven  members  were 
added    to   the    Collbran   church,    among    whom    were   the    leading 

112 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 

lawyer,  banker,  doctor,  contractor,  editor,  merchant  and  rancher. 
The  other  two  denominations  in  the  valley,  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal and  Baptists,  are  cooperating  in  the  effort.  The  small  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  at  Plateau  City  has  come  into  the  movement 
by  arrangement  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference,  and  has 
become  part  of  the  larger  parish.  This  church  and  community  will 
unite  with  the  Congregational  church  on  a  common  budget  for  the 
support  of  general  work.  There  is  now  Methodist  Episcopal  work 
in  the  extreme  end  of  the  valley,  Baptist  in  the  central  part,  and 
Congregational  in  the  extreme  west.  Each  church  sticks  to  its 
own  territory ;  each  urges  members  of  its  own  denomination  to  work 
with  churches  in  other  sections.  But  the  larger  parish  equipment 
serves  all  in  the  extension  program. 

The  work  is  only  begun.  The  larger  purpose  is  to  break  down 
distinctions  between  neighborhoods,  as  well  as  between  village  and 
country,  and  to  weld  all  people  living  over  a  wide  area  into  one 
large  community  with  community  spirit  and  a  common  loyalty. 
This  cannot  be  done  by  the  Church  alone ;  doctors,  visiting  nurse, 
school  teachers,  county  agent  and  farm  bureau  will  gradually  be 
called  into  a  cooperative  team  play.  This,  then,  is  the  Church 
not  merely  aspiring  to  leadership,  but  utilizing  its  opportunity  with 
a  real  program.  Asking  no  favors  because  of  its  divine  origin, 
it  is  determined  to  make  itself  a  necessity  in  the  community  by 
virtue  of  what  it  does.  It  is  the  Church  "actually  practising  a  re- 
ligion of  fellowship,  giving  value  for  value  and  serving  all  the 
people  and  all  of  their  interests,  all  of  the  time." 

The  Larger  Parish  Plan 

This  Larger  Parish  plan  is  the  old  circuit  rider  system  brought 
up  to  date,  and  given  an  all-around  significance  through  the  use 
of  modern  means  of  transportation  and  an  equipment  suited  to  a 
religio-social  program.  The  minister  is  no  less  a  preacher  and 
man  of  God  because  he  is  a  community  builder.  His  measure  of 
"success"  is  his  ability  to  work  out  with  his  people  a  genuine  pro- 
gram of   rural  and  social   service. 

With  its  community  church  and  program,  the  Larger  Parish 
plan  seeks  to  make  the  church  both  a  religious  and  a  social  center. 
Under  its  own  roof,  if  necessary,  or  better,  with  an  adjoining  com- 
munity house,  it  has  equipment  which  provides  for  ideal  worship, 
a  modern  church  school  and  well-supervised  social  and  recreational 
activities.     It  amounts  to  a  church  that  oflFers  advantages  like  those 

113 


THE  CHURCH  OX   THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


A    REAL    rOMMl'NITY    IIOUSK 

Members    of    tliis    rrcsbylcrian    Cluircli    at    Slicridan    buiUiinij    their    nwii    community    house 
under  the  leadership  of  the  pastor.      The  wi men   of  the  church   proviiled   tlie  cats. 


Ill 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 

of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  By  means  of  this  program, 
the  rural  church  puts  itself  at  the  center  rather  than  at  the  far 
circumference  of  rural  life,  and  becomes  one  of  the  most  active 
agencies  in  the  community. 

This  plan  remedies  a  characteristic  disability  of  the  average 
rural  minister  and  his  church — the  neglect  in  farmstead  visitation. 
Especially  on  the  plains,  isolation  and  loneliness  persist  despite 
modern  improvements.  There  are  country  homes  near  to  villages 
or  towns  into  which  no  minister  or  church  visitor  goes  from  one 


iiiiilas  n  -M 


lirRClI    THAT    SKRVl 


THK   COMMUNITY 
The  M.    E.    Church   and   parsonage  at   Clearmont,   \\'yoming. 

year's  end  to  another.  Within  reach  of  almost  any  church  on  the 
Range,  and  over  great  stretches  of  country,  children  may  be  found 
who  are  growing  up  without  any  religious  training.  In  the  face 
of  this  need  and  its  challenge,  the  Larger  Parish  plan  need  not 
wait  for  people  to  come  into  the  Church.  By  means  of  a  well- 
equipped  extension  program  the  Church,  and  everything  it  stands 
for,  is  taken  to  all  who  need  its  ministrations. 

Preaching  is  essential.  But  when  a  minister  and  congregation 
can  "brother"  scattered  peoples,  they  are  most  helpful  in  bringing 
the  Kingdom  of  God  to  rural  America.  There  may  be  some  justice 
in  the  excuse  that  "the  farmer  and  his  family  might  easily  come 
in  to  services  in  their  automobile,"  but  it  is  true  that  a  "house- 
going  minister  makes  a  church-going  people."  The  Larger  Parish 
plan  furnishes  the  minister  the  equipment  and  help  to  do  just  this 
thing.     It  views  the  church  as  a  service  institution. 

115 


THE   CHURCH  OX   THE   CHANGING  FRONTIER 
The   Montana   Plan 

It  is  even  possible  for  a  whole  state  to  make  a  united  plan 
for  churcli  work.  Montana  has  had  its  area,  community  by  com- 
munity, county  by  county,  or  valley  by  valley,  "allocated"  to  the 
religious  care  and  undisputed  responsibility  of  one  or  more  denomi- 
nations. For  this  new  and  progressive  policy  the  people  of  the  State 
were  themselves  responsible,  and  its  development  will  be  watched 
with  intense  interest.  Unfortunately  one  of  the  fields  in  the  only 
Montana  county  in  this  survey  is  not  receiving  the  attention  it 
should  from  its  "allocated  denomination."  This  is  the  work  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  county,  now  served  by  a  non-resident 
pastor.  A  glance  at  the  map  will  show  how  effectively  the  larger 
parish  plan  could  be  applied. 

Two  tasks  face  the  churches  in  these  counties :  First,  to  in- 
crease and  enlarge  the  w^ork  of  the  churches  already  established, 
and,  secondly,  to  reach  and  serve  the  great  unevangelized  areas. 
The  former  is  a  problem  for  the  individual  church  and  community. 
The  latter  is  a  problem  demanding  the  cooperation  of  all  religious 
forces  on  the  field,  for  "there  is  religious  need  enough  to  tax  the 
best  energies  and  resources  of  all."  The  churches  in  this  new 
western  country  must  keep  pace  with  their  rapidly  changing  environ- 
ment, and  with  elastic  yet  inclusive  programs  really  become  com- 
munity churches. 

The  county  seat  towns  should  assume  more  responsibility  for 
their  surrounding  areas ;  in  other  words,  they  should  plan  and 
develop  larger  parishes.  Especially  in  Beaverhead  and  Hughes, 
this  area  is  unchurched  and  to  a  great  extent  neglected.  \\'hile 
the  social  and  economic  life  of  these  "centers"  naturally  over- 
shadows a  great  portion  of  the  county  areas,  yet  the  churches 
minister  very  inadequately  to  their  needs.  The  church  parishes 
on  the  map  represent  few  members.  The  centers  are  growing,  their 
influence  is  ever  widening,  so  that  the  Church,  in  building  up  her 
work  at  the  center  with  the  idea  not  only  of  serving  the  peo]:ile 
at  hand  but  of  reaching  just  as  thoroughly  the  people  in  the  sur- 
rounding areas,  will  naturally  fulfill  her  destiny. 

To  reach  areas  outside  the  influence  of  the  church  work  at 
the  centers,  colporteurs  should  be  employed.  A  Sunday  school 
missionary  could  give  permanence  to  all  Sunday  school  work  and 
help  to  organize  new  schools  in  Union  and  possibly  in  Sheridan 
County.  Some  additional  churches  should  be  established ;  others 
might  very  well  be  closed.     But  it  is  chiefly  up-to-date,  educated, 

116 


SEEING  IT  WHOLE 

resident  pastors  that  are  needed,  with  a  belief  that  the  rural  task 
is   worth   their  lives. 


Cooperation  the  Solution 

The  psychological  and  religious  differences  in  these  four  counties 
have  already  been  shown.  All  should  not  be  treated  alike.  Every 
county  is  different.  Every  county  demands  individual  study  and 
treatment.  Such  conditions  call  for  the  survey  method  and  for 
intensive  cooperation.  This  is  the  key  to  the  whole  situation. 
Business,  though  still  competitive  and  on  an  individual  basis,  com- 
bines for  the  community  good,  as  in  the  case  of  Rotary  and  Civic 
Clubs.  The  churches  might  well  emulate  this  example  in  organi- 
zation. There  are  competent  Ministerial  Unions  in  Pierre  and 
Sheridan  City.  What  is  needed  now  is  a  Council  of  Religion  in 
each  county  with  a  program  enlisting  every  minister  and  every 
church,  and  including  every  square  mile  of  occupied  land  in  the 
county.  All  problems  are  related.  The  causes  of  church  ineffec- 
tiveness lie  in  non-cooperation.  Ministers  have  stayed  too  short 
a  time  to  relate  themselves  to  their  parish  and  their  people  ;  de- 
nominations in  establishing  new  churches  have  not  been  curious 
enough  about  the  lay  of  the  land ;  the  various  component  parts 
have  been  unrelated — the  preacher  to  the  church,  the  fringe  areas 
to  the  church  in  the  center  and,  finally,  the  Church  to  the  people. 

The  Frontier  of  the  Future 

Yesterday  the  Range  population  was  busy  settling  down.  To-day 
it  is  haphazardly  here,  and  still  coming.  And  what  of  to-morrow? 
Franklin  K.  Lane  wrote  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  service  in  the 
Department  of  the  Interior :  "We  are  quickly  passing  out  of  the 
rough-and-ready  period  of  our  national  life,  in  which  we  have  dealt 
wholesale  with  men  and  things,  into  a  period  of  more  intensive 
development  in  which  we  must  seek  to  find  the  special  qualities 
of  the  individual  unit  whether  that  unit  be  an  acre  of  desert,  a 
barrel  of  oil,  a  mountain  canyon,  the  flow  of  a  river,  or  the  capacity 
of  the  humblest  of  men."  Here  is  fertile  ground  for  well  directed 
and  progressive  development. 

The  East  is  crystallized  into  its  habits  and  customs.  The  West 
is  more  plastic  because  it  is  in  the  social  making,  and  is  willing, 
at  need,  to  change  its  ways.  The  social  baggage  of  the  eastern 
states  is  only  partly  unpacked  in  this  region.     The  young  West  is 

117 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

developing  a  flexible  social  and   institutional   life  in  keeping  with 
its  phenomena  of  time  and  place. 

Great  possibilities  are  ahead.  A  real  welding  process  has  begun 
during  the  last  few  years  as  the  population  tends  to  become  more 
static,  or  as  it  learns  to  cooperate  in  such  agencies  as  Red  Cross 
work  during  the  war  and  the  work  of  the  Farm  Bureau.  A  new 
social  spirit  is  developing.  The  Church  has  counted  for  a  great 
deal  on  the  Range  and  has  done  some  good,  fundamental  work. 
But  in  order  to  keep  abreast  of  the  new  development  and  to  help 
bring  to  the  Range  a  "satisfying  community  life  which  is  profitable, 
sociable,  healthful  and  full  of  culture  and  charm  and,  above  all, 
full  of  God,"  the  Church  must  make  its  ministry  broader,  steadier 
and  more  available. 


118 


APPENDICES 

I:  METHODOLOGY  AND  DEFINITIONS 
II:  TABLES 


APPENDIX  I 

Methodology  and  Definitions 

The  method  used  in  the  Town  and  Country  Surveys  of  the 
Interchurch  World  Movement  and  of  the  Committee  on  Social 
and  Religious  Surveys  differs  from  the  method  of  earlier  surveys 
in  this  field  chiefly  in  the   following  particulars : 

1.  "Rural"  was  defined  as  including  all  population  living  out- 
side incorporated  places  of  over  5.000.  Previous  surveys  usually 
excluded  all  places  of  2,500  population  or  over,  which  follows  the 
United  States  Census  definition  of  "rural." 

2.  The  local  unit  for  the  assembling  of  material  was  the  com- 
munity, regarded,  usually,  as  the  trade  area  of  a  town  or  village 
center.  Previous  surveys  usually  took  the  minor  civil  division  as 
the  local  unit.  The  disadvantage  of  the  community  unit  is  that 
census  and  other  statistical  data  are  seldom  available  on  that  basis, 
thus  increasing  both  the  labor  involved  and  the  possibility  of  error. 
The  great  advantage  is  that  it  presents  its  results  assembled  on 
the  basis  of  units  which  have  real  social  significance,  which  the 
minor  civil  division  seldom  has.  This  advantage  is  considered  as 
more  than  compensating  for  the  disadvantage. 

3.  The  actual  service  area  of  each  church  as  indicated  by  the 
residences  of  its  members  and  adherents  w^as  mapped  and  studied. 
Iliis  was  an  entirely  new  departure  in  rural  surveys. 

Four  chief  processes  were  involved  in  the  actual  field  work  of 
these   surveys : 

1.  The  determination  of  the  community  units  and  of  any  sub- 
sidiary neighborhood  units  included  within  them.  The  community 
boundaries  were  ascertained  by  noting  the  location  of  the  last  family 
on  each  road  leading  out  from  a  given  center  who  regularly  traded 
at  that  center.  These  points,  indicated  on  a  map,  were  connected 
with  each  other  by  straight  lines.  The  area  about  the  given  center 
thus  enclosed  was  regarded  as  the  community. 

2.  The  study  of  the  economic,  social  and  institutional  life  of 
each  community  as  thus  defined. 

3.  The  location  of  each  church  in  the  county,  the  determination 

121 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

of  its  parish  area,  and  the  detailed  study  of  its  equipment,  finance, 
membership,  organization,  program  and  leadership. 

4.  The  preparation  of  a  map  showing,  in  addition  to  the  usual 
physical  features,  the  boundaries  of  each  community,  the  location, 
parish  area  and  circuit  connections  of  each  church,  and  the  residence 
of   each  minister. 

The  following  are  the  more  important  definitions  used  in  the 
making  of  these  surveys  and  the  preparation  of  the  reports : 

Geographical 

City — A  center  of  over  5,000  population.  Not  included  within 
the  scope  of  these  surveys  except  as  specifically  noted. 

Toii'ii — A  center  with  a  population  of  from  2,501  to  5,000. 

Village — A  center  with  a  population  of  from  251  to  2,500. 

Hamlet — Any  clustered  group  of  people  not  living  on  farms 
whose  numbers  do  not  exceed  250. 

Open  Country — The  farming  area,  excluding  hamlets  and  other 
centers. 

Country — Used  in  a  three-fold  division  of  population  included 
in  scope  of  survey  into  Town,  Village  and  Country.  Includes  Ham- 
lets and  Open  Country. 

Toi^'n  and  Cou)itry — The  whole  area  covered  by  these  surveys, 
i.e.,  all  population  living  outside  cities. 

Rural — Used  interchangeably  with  Town  and  Country. 

Community — That  unit  of  territory  and  of  population  character- 
ized by  common  social  and  economic  interests  and  experiences ; 
an  "aggregation  of  people  the  majority  of  whose  interests  have 
a  common  center."  Usually  ascertained  by  determining  the  normal 
trade  area  of  each  given  center.  The  primary  social  grouping 
of  sufficient  size  and  diversity  of  interests  to  be  practically  self- 
sufficing  in  ordinary  affairs  of  business,  civil  and  social  life. 

Neutral  Territory — Any  area  not  definitely  included  within  the 
area  of  one  community.  Usually  an  area  between  two  or  more 
centers,  and  somewhat  influenced  by  each,  but  whose  interests  are 
so  scattered  that  it  cannot  definitely  be  assigned  to  the  sphere  of 
influence  of  any  one  center. 

Neighborhood — .\  recognizable  social  grou])ing  having  certain 
interests  in  common,  but  de])endent  for  certain  elemental  needs  upon 
some  adjacent  center  within  the  comnnuiitv  area  of  which  it  is 
located. 

Rural  f nd usi rial-^VcrUnnhv^  to  any  industry  other  than  farming 
within   the  Town  and   Country  area. 

122 


APPENDIX  I 

Population 

Foreigner — Refers   to    foreign-born   and   native-born   of    foreign 
parentage. 

Nczu  Americans — Usually  includes  foreign-born  and  native-born 
of  foreign  or  mixed  parentage,  but  sometimes  refers  only  to  more 
recent  immigration.  In  eacb  case  the  exact  meaning  is  clear  from 
the  context. 


The  Church 

Parish — The  area  within  which  the  members  and  regular  at- 
tendants of  a  given  church  live. 

Circuit — Two  or  more  churches  combined  under  the  direction 
of  one  minister. 

Resident  Pastor — A  church  whose  minister  lives  within  its 
parish  area  is  said  to  have  a  resident  pastor. 

Pitll-time  Resident  Pastor — A  church  with  a  resident  pastor  who 
serves  no  other  church,  and  follows  no  other  occupation  than  the 
ministry,  is  said  to  have  a  full-time  resident  pastor. 

Part-time  Pastor — A  church  whose  minister  either  serves  an- 
other church  also,  or  devotes  part  of  his  time  to  some  regular  occu- 
pation other  than  the  ministry,  or  both,  is  said  to  have  a  part-time 
minister. 

Non-Resident  Member — One  carried  on  the  rolls  of  a  given 
church  but  living  too  far  away  to  permit  regular  attendance ;  gener- 
ally, any  member  living  outside  the  community  in  which  the  church 
is  located  unless  he  is  a  regular  attendant. 

Inactive  Member — One  who  resides  within  the  parish  area  of 
the  church,  but  who  neither  attends  its  services  nor  contributes  to 
its  support. 

AV/-  Active  Membership — The  resultant  membership  of  a  given 
church  after  the  number  of  non-resident  and  inactive  members  is 
deducted  from  the  total  on  the  church  roll. 

Per  Capita  Contributions  or  Expenditures- — The  total  amount 
contributed  or  expended,  divided  by  the  number  of  the  net  active 
membership. 

Budget  System — A  church  which,  at  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal 
year,  makes  an  itemized  forecast  of  the  entire  amount  of  money 
required  for  its  maintenance  during  the  year  as  a  basis  for  a  canvass 
of  its  membership  for  funds,  is  said  to  operate  on  a  budget  system 
with  respect  to  its  local  finances.  If  amounts  to  be  raised  for  de- 
nominational or  other  benevolences  are  injcluded  in  the  forecast  and 

123 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

canvass,  it  is  said  to  operate  on  a  budget  system  for  all  monies 
raised. 

Adequate  financial  System — Three  chief  elements  are  recog- 
nized in  an  adequate  financial  system :  a  budget  system,  an  annual 
every-member  canvass,  and  the  use  of  envelopes  for  the  weekly 
payment  of  subscriptions. 

Receipts — Receipts  have  been  divided  under  three  heads  : 

a.  Subscriptions,  that  is  monies  received  in  payment  of  an- 

nual pledges. 

b.  Collections,  that  is  money  received  from  free  will  offer- 

ings at  public  services. 

c.  All  other   sources  of   revenue,  chiefly  proceeds  of   enter- 

tainments and  interest  on  endowments. 
Salary  of  Minister — Inasmuch  as  some  ministers  receive,  in 
addition  to  their  cash  salary,  the  free  use  of  a  house  w^hile  others 
do  not,  a  comparison  of  the  cash  salaries  paid  is  misleading.  In  all 
salary  comparisons,  therefore,  the  cash  value  of  a  free  parsonage  is 
arbitrarily  stated  as  $250  a  year,  and  that  amount  is  added  to  the 
cash  salary  of  each  minister  with  free  parsonage  privileges.  Thus  an 
average  salary  stated  as  $1,450  is  equivalent  to  $1,200  cash  and  the 
free  use  of  a  house. 


12 1 


APPENDIX  II 


Tables 


< 
Pi 
w 

Q 
W 

w 

H 

O 
H 

O 

Q 

P:! 

So 

<'" 

£g 

o 

o^ 

<W 
W^ 

< 

< 


O  >— 1 

O-i- 

J^ 

r^ 

ONfO 

§o 

3S 

^ 

CM 

00^ 

^-t 

c\f^' 

2^" 

--r 

OCVJ 
CO'-O 

Ss 

<rr<>f 

o  -1- 

SS 
^.'^1 

oo'^' 

lor^ 

3^ 


oa\      ^  -H 


Otv.  t^(N) 


o  oo 


O  On        ro  "^J 

CO  o      C'  -t- 


O        CM        CMO 


i^CM  -H 


CM  ^ 


CO         CO  "rJ 


^      o 


0'-^■ 


-I-On 

ON 


y^      "t^     '^         D         (3J         rt 

p  s  >  5f  Sf  ^ 


'--r      o       ^ 


,^43 


^1       — '        rt 


QJ 


c  CO 

T    .£ 

w 

2  rt  rt 


fe  rt  ^ 
Si  ^^ 

«  OJ  rt 
>  --  a; 
rt  ;:  1- 


S.-2 


125 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


en 
W 
in 
\D 

m 

W 

u 

< 

W 
Q 
W 

w 

H 

O 
H 

O 
>^ 

Q 
O 

u 

U 

<o 

h9 


-   ^.-^ 


tn    -^ 


o 

W 


en  >— I  r^  so  t^  Os  <^l  ON 
T-^  OS  p/  O  ^  O  (M  vo 
CkC0,^"-)O0\C0_ 

*"-<  i-T  so  o  1^'  T-1 


>,  O  <^1  O  O  '-'  -^  O'  '^1 
Os  O),   00  CO  10  o  so 
'~^  Cvf   ro  so'  '^f  >-<' 
'I-  -—1 10 

O  ^1  o 

^'  Rl 

OsOr'^sO'-i^f'^'^ 


5-^ir)tv.0s^'-"~0 
1  ro  ,  •  10  CM  <^  On  -r 

■^      lOCo'"!" 

m  o  "^ 


<::>oo.-Hsoio^DO\ON 

CN'^O^sOsO'^^'^ 
'  ^      ■^'  u->  so 


Qi  10  to  -1-  ^1  ^^  IJ^  O 

fNl  -1-  r^-  CO  LO  C^  so  CO 

Os  ^a  f?;  o  o  -1^ 


<^sot— ir>Qrvjr^osr^ 


cq2 


:^  10  r^- 10  ^  -1-  O  T 

-^  to  ^  -t  sO  ^  "^ 


O       C=: 


.,   a'^'B'^-6^, 


CM 


^  -^  so  O  O 

^  =  -  ^1  o 


lO-t-O 


O  = 


r-   u   rt  -a    [«   .-        "S 


'-^'  ;j  ""' 

'^1  CO  ' 


■—  O' 


^;ri^cot^  '- 


i.->  -X  o 

-r  Lo  1^' 

cc  ^  cc 


o  -1-000 


r^  OS  o  t^  r^  c> 


■/I  ">! 


U)       o 


^  ?;  u,  ■-'     •« 

5  hjs-^    « 


ni 


,5l5  O  aJ 

<   cj  Si's        '•^;«^rt„'2       <<:jU)^ 

3  S>2  §       ^^  "^  p'5'^       ~  S^  § 
!-^M^^«       ?^"o  S^  S 


or;--.>^o<u      ^ojooj  <L>o-'-ir  ^o^yj; 

126 


:~   -yi  n)   ^   ;i 
S*"   £   rt  S 


APPENDIX  11 


c^  o  ^-  r^  eo  o 


-V  r^  ON  T- 1^  oo 


>  O  1^  00  .— I  ^ 

'  o  3:  ON  o  i^j 

CO  on'"' 


O  \C> 

corn 


0\  .—  CN  cc  '■o 
CM  -t-_  rt  vq  0| 

iW  ^'  rvf  cci  CO 

ON  00  >-o  T- '  ■— 1 
C\l  ,—1 


^O  0\  1-  O  (^1 
op  jv^irj  O  ro 
ON  oc  "^  t^  ^ 

CO  o'  rv)  o  ro 

On  lo  On  "— '  ' 


.  ro 


lO  i-o  ' 


ci  ::- 


i^  Lo  "^  r^  fv) 

NOO  WCO^ 
On  rv)  -^i-  O  u-J 

cc'oo'no'o'io 

O  vo  On  '— '  CO 


w^ 


o 

w2 


OH  LO  CO  NO  fO  ON 
Os  1^  NO  t^  ^^ 


1^  On  NO  O  ON 
"^  ^^  ^  t^u-) 
On  t-N.  O)  NO_  rx. 
lO  LO  NO  On  -^ 
lO  (T)  r-,  c  r-v 
VOr^O— '  .-I 


uTt  (^1  NO  rN] 

^  LO  On  1^  NO 
ro  O  tq  rq  ^ 
lO  go'  <^"  "-O  On* 
CN)  t^  O  '-  (M 


Won 

:zw 

'"'co 
OP 

Qu 
W 

> 

H 

;3 

u 

o 

w 

> 

< 

w 
o 
< 

u 
< 


<    i: 


■>  1  -)-  On  ON  ^O  • 

^  r^  GO  -t-  lo  ( 

"^^  o*  ^i  -^  — <' 


UT^  to  NO 


:^T3 


127 


^  CM^'  ON  ^ 
r-l  LO  to 


O  On  "^  '^1  NO 
ro  '-O  ON  fNll^ 
CO  >-0  O  NO  y-l 
On  -f  O  ro  .-T 
f\j  ^H  00  ro  Tl- 


O  fO  O  .— 1  ro 


CO  o  r^.  o  ^ 

OO  <0  On  CO  NO 
OOCNjl^ 


^ 


5  "J  L^:^  k"" 


•o  a 


>,  O 


S  o 


m  o 

O    D, 


H'3 


THE  CHURCH  OX   THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


CO 

W 

in 

"y-) 

'a 

in 

X 

K^ 

w 

u 

J 

<f 

^ 

w 

o 

w 

Uh 

s 

w 

■~ 

ffi 

lo 

H 

O 

H 

O 

>^ 

G 

~ 

cd 

^"^ 

O 

■^ 

U 

"Ui 

U 

^ 

< 

coo 

ws^ 

h"" 

^Q 

P^ 

o< 

1 

Uo 

"ci 

^ 

12;  c^ 

<o 

w 
K 
H 

O 

>< 

O 


cq^co  0{;^  ^^"1 


CO  C-  00^ 


O  C-  f^  >^  OC  C- 
On  "^  CC  r<  CO'  ^ 


\0        ^ 


r^l  .^^  On  -v^  >— '  vO 
lO  r^  C^J  <vi  r^  On 
(vj  -t  ro  <^i  u-j  o5 


•o  h^  o      \o  i^ 

NO  ^.  t^  m  ^ 


O  c  t:i..5  o  H 


X2         rt   03   rt   rt   c^   ct3 

5     S  3 ~;5  o  o 

P 


.-  ^  ^o  c>       y= 


CC  NO         "T 
r-i  ^H  ^o  uo       ^;:^ 

rr;;f,jr^ON 


'—  rot^  CO 


<^jiOOCO 


JOC  ON 


c  ^.  <2  ^  c 

>,•:;;  --  "o  "S 

-^2  2 

■^  3  o  o  o 

Q 


i;   O 


■V.   M 


1--0 

>  ^i 
mco 


HH 


APPENDIX  II 


RACIAL  COMPOSITION  OF  POPULATION  OF  THE  RANGE 
COUNTIES  ACCORDING  TO  FEDERAL  CENSUS  OF   1920 

Beaverhead  Hughes  Sheridan  Union* 

Number  Rank   X umber  Rank   Number  Rank  Number  Rank 

Total  population  . .  7,369 
Native  \\  hite,  Total  6,261 
Native  parentage  . .  4,454 
Foreign  parentage  .  1,024 
Mixed  parentage  .  .  783 
Foreign  White,Total  1,035 

Austria     69 

Canada    150 

Czecho-Slovakia    ..  11 

Denmark    121 

England    98 

Finland     Zi 

France     17 

Germany     107 

Greece     11 

Hungary 4 

Ireland      106 

Italy ii 

Jugo-Slavia     27 

Mexico    0 

Norway   2ii 

Poland 2 

Russia     13 

Scotland     ii 

Sweden     80 

Switzerland    43 

Syria     0 

Wales    7 

All  other  countries.  47 

Other  than   white..  7i 

*  The   Census  does  not  give   Spanish-American   separately.  They  are  of 
course  native-born  and  are  included   under  that  division. 

Per  cent,   of   native   increase   is  20.7   in   Beaverhead   for  1910-20 

"       "         "        decrease  "      4.1     "  Hughes  "  1910-20 

"       "         "        increase   "    12.1     "  Sheridan  "  1910-20 

"      "        "  •'         "    32.2     "  Union  "  1910-20 


5,711 

18.182 

16,680 

5,155 

15,058 

16,376 

3,752 

11,454 

15,512 

778 

2,314 

414 

625 

1,290 

450 

462 

2,895 

278 

7 

15 

9 

90 

12 

5 

14 

1 

49 

2 

126 

9 

26 

3 

14 

4 

11 

90 

12 

7 

12 

2 

42 

3 

44 

17 

6 

13 

b 

38 

4 

194 

4 

19 

5 

11 

3 

12 

66 

13 

0 

12 

6 

10 

51 

16 

5 

14 

3 

118 

1 

541 

1 

49 

1 

14 

4 

11 

53 

15 

10 

10 

16 

1 

14 

107 

11 

10 

10 

4 

?? 

6 

56 

14 

12 

8 

9 

3 

12 

240 

3 

8 

11 

10 

0 

169 

7 

0 

0 

192 

5 

13 

7 

9 

49 

2 

38 

18 

3 

1.S 

17 

2 

13 

290 

2 

11 

9 

13 

20 

7 

181 

6 

28 

2 

9 

3 

12 

108 

10 

10 

10 

6 

i7 

5 

143 

8 

15 

6 

8 

18 

8 

15 

20 

6 

13 

0 

0 

22 

4 

15 

3 

25 
94 

12 

22 

79 

229 

19 

0 
13 
26 

In  Sheridan,  the  "New  Americans"  are  in  the 
ties,  they  are  on  the  land. 


ines  ;   in  the  other  coun- 


129 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

VI 

AGE  AND  SCHOOL  ATTENDANCE  IN  THE  RANGE  COUNTIES 

ACCORDING  TO  THE  FEDERAL  CENSUS  FOR  1920 

Bcaz'crhcad          Hughes  Sheridan                 Union 

Xuin-    Per       Xuni-    Per  Xum-    Per        Xitin-    Per 

her    cent.          her     cent.  her     cent.           her     cent. 

Under  7  years  ... .    1.057      ...           847      ...  2,779      ...          3,217      ... 
7  to  13  years 

inclusive    850      ...           790      ...  2,395      . . .          2,909      . . . 

Attending    schooL .       789    92.8          714    90.4  2,225     92.9         2,594    89.2 

14  and  15  vears  .       213      ...           201       ...  564      ...             700 

Attending  schooL .       195    91.5          191     95  495    87.8           590    84.3 

16  and  17  vears  .       206      ...           216      ...  531      ...            655      ... 

Attending   school..       137    66.5          153    70.8  286    53.9           337    51.5 

18  to  20  vears 

inclusive'  302      ...           306      ...  829      ...             846      ... 

Attending    school..         68    22.5            82    26.8  147     17.8            140     16.5 

The  proportion  of  children  in  school  is  high  through  the  age  of  sixteen. 
Beyond  that  age  the  ratio  of  attendance  falls  off  rapidly,  Sheridan  and  Union 
having  a  smaller  proportion  in  school  than  the  other  two  counties. 

VII 

ILLITERACY   IN   THE   RANGE   COUNTIES   ACCORDING   TO    THE 
FEDERAL  CENSUS  FOR  1920 

Beaverhead           Hughes  Sheridan                 Union 

Xum-    Per       Xnni-    Per  Xum-    Per        Xum-    Per 

Ten  Years  and  Over      her     cent.          her     cent.  her     cent.           her    cent. 

Total    5,950      ...       4.520      ...  14,320      ...        12.123      ... 

Illiterates    59       1.0            20       1.4  437      3.1            668      5.5 

Native    Whites    4,863      ...        3,982      ...  11,284      ...        11,830      ... 

Illiterates    . .         13        .3              2        .1  33        .3            652      5.5 
Foreign  Born 

Whites     ....    1.023      ...           49)      ...  2  8?R                      ?76 

Illiterates    ..         29      2.8              9      2.  393     13.9              14       5.1 

Negro     14      ...            23      ...  131      ...               12      ... 

Illiterates     ..           3      ...               1      ...  4      3.1                1      ... 

16-20  Years  Inclii- 

Total         """' 508      ...          522      ...  1,359      ...          1,501      ... 

Illiterates    2        .4              1         .2  9        .7              44      2.9 

llliteracv  21    ]'ears 
and  Over 

Males           42      1.4             8        .5  276      4.2           211      4.6 

Native  Whites  .  .         11      16      ...            205      ... 

Foreign   Born 

Whites   18      ...              5      ...  2.-.2      ...                6      ... 

fSs  :::::::::    is  ■:8      u  ".7  ul  3.2      350  c).2 

Native  Whites  .  .           1      •  ■  •               1      •  •  •  9      ...            341      .. . 
Foreign  Born 

Whites   10      ...              4      ...  137      ...               8      ... 

Negro   1      1        ■•                1      ••■ 

The  rate  of  illiteracy  is  higher  in  Sheridan  and  Union  than  in  Beaverhead 
and  Hughes. 

130 


APPENDIX  II 


Number  Now 

.      .     .CO      • 

ro 

huicfne 

-J 

oi 

o 

Number  Now 

(MiO      -^ro 

-1- 

w 

Abandoned 

Number  Now 
Active 

(>J  ^  On  O  CN 

g 

o 

Pi 

Total  Number 
Chu  relies 

^OO^^, 

CO 

o 

•z 

Number  Now 

.      •      •  ■— 1      . 

•—1 

o 

Inactke 

;^; 

fe: 

< 

o 

Number  Now 

.      .      -u-iro 

CO 

u 

Abandoned 

Number  Now 

■^  rC  C^CO 

T-1 

W 

Active 

.—1 

"^ 

m 

o 

Total  Number 
Churches 

:^  '^cN 

o 

Number  Now 

.        .         •  fV)         . 

<^) 

>; 

Inactive 

O 

Q 

Number  Now 

.^  -^ 

^1 

H 

5 

Abandoned 

< 

UJ 

N 

a: 

Number  Nozv 

•  !>]  uTi-  O 

1  '^ 

^; 

Active 

y^ 

M 

Total  Number 
Churches 

•  roior^o 

1  CN 

Number  Now 

Inactive 

p^ 

t^ 

P 

K 

S 

Number  Now 

. 

I— 1 

tj 

Abandoned 

u 

o 

Number  Nozv 

.— 1  t^  ■— '  .— 1  u-j 

1  "^ 

H 

""^ 

Active 

^ 

< 

Total  Number 

^ZC^^iTi 

1    <3 

H 

Churches 

CA! 

W 

o 

Number  Now 

Ci 

Inactive 

Cti 

Oh 

> 

Number  Now 

.<n   ■   .    ■ 

1  '^ 

U. 

'^ 

Abandoned 

O 

tj 

■^ 

Number  Now 

.— 1  -^      .  rvj      . 

1  ^ 

H 

^ 

Active 

• 

^ 

W 

Total  Number 

r— 1  t^         •  ^1 

1  ^ 

§ 

Churches 

Oh 

O 

J 

1          •     ■    !    ■    ! 

> 

^  O  O  CN  o  o 

„ 

w 

^.SooS'T^   i' 

■2 

Q 

O  J     1      III      1 

03 -H  rt;  "Z"  "T  "i^ 

o 

f-H 

03    be 


'     5 

5  lA 


'O  ■  -  OO  CO  'CO  ON  C^ 
CL, 

131 


THE   CHURCH  OX   THE  CHAXGIXG  FROXTIER 


IX- A 
DISTRIBUTIOX   OF  CHURCHES   AMOXG   DEXOMIXATIOXS 


Denominations 

Baptist,  Xorth   

Baptist,  South    

Church  of  Christ  or  Christian.... 
Church  of  Christ   ( Unprogressivc) 

Congregational    

Evangelical  Association    

Lutheran  : 

Xorwegian  Lutheran  of  America 

German    

Swedish     

Polish     

Others    

Methodist,  Xorth    

Methodist,  South   

Xazarene     

Presbyterian   in  U.   S.  A 

Protestant    Episcopal    

Seventh   Day  Adventist   

United    Brethren    

Total     


CIm 

■dies  in 

iiitry 

1  'illagc 

Toz.-n 

City 

Total 

0 

1 

9 

1 

4 

3 

1 

1 

0 

5 

0 

1 

1 

1 

3 

2 

1 

0 

0 

3 

3 

(t 

1 

1 

s 

0 

0 

1 

() 

1 

0 

n 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

n 

1 

1 

0 

0 

0 

1 

1 

0 

1 

0 

n 

1 

0 

1 

0 

0 

1 

.1 

t, 

3 

1 

23 

() 

0 

0 

0 

6 

1 

0 

0 

0 

1 

3 

9 

1 

1 

7 

0 

0 

7 

1 

3 

1 

0 

0 

1 

7 

2 

0 

0 

0 

2 

34 


70 


IX— B 

Denominations  Beaverhead    Hughes     Sheridan     Union         Total 

Baptist  Xorth    1  1  2  0  4}  ^ 

Baptist  South    0  0  0  5  5  ,"  ^ 

Church  of  Christ  or  Christian     0  1  1  1  3 
Church     of     Christ     (Unpro- 
gressivc )  n  n  n  3  3 

Congregational    0  2  3  0  5 

Evangelical  Association    0  1  0  0  1 

Lutheran  : 

Xorwegian       Lutheran       of 

America  0  1  0  0  l"! 

German    0  0  1  0  1 

Swedish     0  0  1  0  1   ^5 

Polish     0  0  1  0  1 

Others    0  1  0  0  ij 

Methodist  Xorth  2  6  5  10  2,i  / 

Methodist  South  0  0  0  6  6  .-  29 

Xazarenes   0  0  0  1  1 

Presbyterian  in  U.  S.  A 3  1  1  2  7 

Protestant  Episcopal   1  1  1  0  3 

Seventh  Dav  Adventist 0  0  1  1  2 

United   Brethren     0  0  0  2  2 

Total    7  15  17  31  70 

With  so  many  denominations  at  work  in  the  field,  every  square  mile  of 

inhabited  area  ought  to  be  reached.  But  large  areas  and  many  people  are 
not  even  touched  by  the  church. 

\32 


APPENDIX  II 


X— A 


RESIDENXE  AND  ACTIVITY  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERS  BY  TYPES 
OF  COMMUNITIES 


Country 

Xet  active  members   616 

Inactive  '"         129 

Non-resident      "         152 

Total    enrollment    897 

Average  per  congregation        26 


Ch 

u  re  lies  in 

'illage 

Town 

City 

Total 

497 

1,178 

1,665 

3,956 

66 

221 

607 

1,013 

60 

186 

453 

851 

623 

1,575 

2.725 

5,820 

45 

121 

303 

83 

X— B 

BY  COUNTIES 

Churehes  in. 

Beaverhead  Hughes  Sheridan  Union  Total 

Net  active  members    345  884  1,988  739  3,956 

Inactive                 "         96  74  646  197  1,013 

Non-resident        "         94  108  496  153  851 

Total    enrollment    535  1,066  3,130  1,089  5,820 

Average  per  congregation         76  71  184  35  83 

The  non-resident  member  is  an  "unattached  Christian"  and  no  one  looks 
out  for  him. 


XI— A 

CHURCHES   CLASSIFIED  ACCORDING  TO   SIZE  BY  TYPES   OF 
COMMUNITIES 


Churches    with    a    net    active 
membership  of  : 

25  or  less   26 

26  to  50   7 

51  to  100   1 

101   to  150   0 

Over  150   0 

Total     34 


Country       Ullage       Tozvn         City 


Total 


7 

2 

36 

4 

1 

13 

3 

5 

10 

0 

3 

4 

0 

2 

7 

70 


XI— B 


BY  COUNTIES 

Beaverhead     Hughes  Sheridan     Union         Total 
Churches    with    a    net    active 
membership  of : 

25  or  less   3                   7  4                22                36 

26  to  50 1                   2  5                 5               13 

51  to  100  2                  3  2                 3               10 

101  to  150  1                   1  1                 1                 4 

Over  150  0                   2  5                  0                 7 

Total    7                 15  17               31               70 

Scattered   and    transient   population   together  with    denominational    com- 
petition has  resulted  in  a  large  proportion  of  small  churches. 

133 


THE   CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


XII 

HOW  THE  CHURCHES  HAVE  GROWN  DURING  A  ONE-YEAR 
PERIOD  BY  TYPES  OF  COMMUNITIES 

Country          J'Ulagc  Tozk'ii                City 

Churchrs       Churches  Churches       Churches  Total 

A'uiii-    I'er   Xuiii-    I'er  Xuiii-    Per   Kitiii-    Per  Xu)ji-    l^cr 

her     Cent     her     Cent  her     Cent      her      Cent  her     Cent 

Gained    . . . 

Stationary 
Declined     . 


u 

35 

7 

50 

in 

77 

8 

89 

^7 

53 

9 

27 

6 

43 

1 

8 

0 

0 

16 

23 

13 

38 

1 

7 

2 

15 

1 

11 

17 

24 

Total 34      100        14       100        13       100         9       100       70     100 

The   gain    in    church    membership   increases    with    the    size    of    the    com- 
munity. 


XIII 

MEMBERSHIP  GAIN  OF  THE  CHURCHES  ORGANIZED  TEN 
YEARS   OR   MORE,   DURING   THE  LAST   TEN   YEARS 


Year 

Xine 
Country 
Churches 

Seven 

J'iUagc 

Churches 

Thirteen 

Toien 
Churches 

Eicjht 

City 

Ch  u  rcli  es 

Total 

1910  

257 

166 

1.197 

1,012 

2,632 

1915   

303 

278 

1,385 

2,011 

3,977 

1920  

326 

271 

1,575 

2,660 

4,852 

Village  and  Country  Churches  Increased  41% 
Town  and  City  Churches  Increased  92%. 


NIV 
AGE  AND  SEX  OF  RESIDENT  MEMBERS 

By  Coujities 
Beaverhead     Hughes     Sheridan     Union 

Men  over  21   24%  31  %  31%  33% 

Women  over  21    55%  45%  47%  47% 

Young  men  and  boys  under  21    S'r  10%  9%  7% 

Young  women  and  girls  under  21....  13%  14%  13'"'r  13% 

The   churches   are   not   winning   the   boys   and   girls.      They   need   better 
recreational  methods  and  broader  programs. 


134 


HP 


APPENDIX  II 

Union  ^.^t^^^^^^ 

Sheridan  ^-^^^^^ 

Hughes  ^^iU:::^^ 

Beaverhead       ^i-^^or^ 


S  lie  rid  an 

Hughes  -tor^coo^ 

Beaverhead       cocoon 


W 

o 

o 

>     00 

o 


Union 

Sheridan 

Hughes 

Beaverhead 

Union 

Sheridan 

Hughes 

Beaverhead 

Union 

Sheridan 

Hughes 

BeaverJiead 


,—(  —  ^-  ^-  -r  ir> 

O  O  O'  o  o  oi 
(N)  ^^  -1-  "^  ^^  U-; 

oo  o  o  orvi 

^H  ^-  <M  '— I  O  ro 

o  o  o  o  O  o 

r^  <^  u-j  u->  o  "O 

rvj  T-  oo  ro  o  'I- 

o  oo  oo  o 

lO  .— I  \o  ^D  (^  <^ 

O  O  O  O  O'  o 

o  c  o  — ■  o  o 


O    rt    S    >>^ 


t«  ::  a;  £  =^  O  '-' 

Ji  2_-  <u—   Cm-. 

^  ^  -C  -  ^    _  *; 

S  3  J5  5  J?  ^  ,^ 


p'       o 


;pqm<cn2H 


2: 

135 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


^  5 

^ 

l^u 

^^_^  - 

8i 

"^ 

w  ^ 

Y> 

S^ 

^ 

*-,-^ 

H  S 

c  s 

^.= 

■^ 

W^ 

^, 

^ 

~ 

— 

C^ 

e 

St 

~b^ 

H'^ 

:^ 

§ia 

^  s 

's  5 

i-<^-      o 


17^    8 


w  h 


v;:  uo       00 


G-.5 


o 


H 

Or       ^ 


S^ 


o  ^ 

5 


°3 


-  -^    ^    1_  u 

'Z.S  EiS  J;:--^ 

■■  S  rt  =^5^"*: 

Tf  (u  —  rt  rt  r:   "'■  • — 


S  n 


O   « 


186 


APPENDIX  II 


I  CO  vq      cs  >o 
'  c\i     '      ^  i  o 

1  (N  O 


in  lo  Lo      t>  so 


8    8 


,-H  ^O 


'— ivo  VO  t^        Cn  ^- O  r^  oo 


^^        S  S. 


V00sc^>0       OvO 


P^ 


U    (LI 

oj  u  ;- 

1  C  _o 


o  ^ 


dJ       vu    — 


:3    <U 

o  > 


■C  "S  a  rt  rt  3  ="==  o  u       c  o  a  rt  rt  n'55—  o  w      O 
137 


THE  CHURCH  ON  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

XVII-A 

THE  AAIOUXT  OF  MOXEY  RAISED  AXD  SPEXT 

The  amount  raised  by  the  local  churches  is  $97,571.98. 

Per  cent. 

Subscription    $70,910.74  72.68 

Collections   9,464.24  9.7 

All  other  methods  17,197.00  17.62 


$97,571.98 

XVII— B 

The  amount  spent  by  the  local  churches  is  $96,992.85. 

Per  cent. 

Salaries     $41,268.79  43. 

Missions  and  benevolences    24.657.55  25. 

Upkeep  and  all  other  expenses  31,066.51  i2. 

The  entire  amount  spent  for  church  purposes  is  $110,080.35. 

Per  cent. 

Salaries     $54,356.29*  49. 

Missions  and  benevolences    24.657.55  2}i. 

Upkeep  and  all  other  expenses 31,366.51  28. 

*  76.37%   of  this  amount  was   raised   l)y   local  churches.     The   rest  came 
from  the  denominational  boards. 

Of  the  entire  church  dollar,  about   12  per  cent,  comes   from   Denomina- 
tional Boards. 

XVIII 
RECEIPTS  PER  CHURCH 

Country         J'illagc  Toz^ii  City  Total 

Thirty-one    Fourteen    ■    Thirteen  Eight  Sixty-si.v 

From:  Churches     Churches       Churches       Churches       Churches 

Subscription  $235.45        $526.51        $1,972.93        $3,824.04        $1,074.41 

Collections    57.99  106.57  254.35  358.49  143.40 

All  other  methods         12.96  297.42  458.01  834.63  260.55 


Total    ... 

$306.40 

$930.50 
XIX 

$2,685.29 

$5,017.16 

$1,478.36 

RECEIPTS 

PER  ACTIVE  MEMBER 

Country 

J'illage 

To'u'n 

City 

Total 

Thirty -one 
Churches 

Fourteen 
Churches 

Thirteen 
Churches 

Eight 
Churches 

Si.rty-si.v 
Churches 

Subscription   $12.39 

Collections    3.05 

All  other  methods             .68 

$14.07 
2.85 
7.95 

$21.77 
2.81 
5.05 

$18.65 
1.75 
4.07 

$18.04 
2.41 
4.37 

Total    $16.12  $24.87  $29.63  $24.47  $24.82 

The  average  active  member  is  generous  in  the  support  of  his  church. 
138 


APPENDIX  II 

XX 

EXPENDITURES  PER  CHURCH 

Country         I'illagc  Tozcn  City              Total 

Thirty-one    Fourteen  Thirteen  Eight         Sixtv-six 

For:                               Churches     Churches  Churches  Churches       Churches 

Salaries     $220.12        $366.43  $1,247.31  $1,637.50           $625.28 

Missions  and  Be- 
nevolences   ....        42.59          117.85  638.84  1,672.75            373.60 

Upkeep     and      all 

other  expenses  .         40.95          441.63  794.22  1,661.18             470.70 

Total    $303.66        $925.91  $2,680.37  $4,971.43        $1,469.58 

XXI 

EXPENDITURES  PER  ACTIVE  MEMBER 

Country         Village  Tozvn  City              Total 

Thirty-one    Fourteen  Thirteen  Eight         Sixty-six 

For:                                Churches     Churches  Churches  Churches       Churches 

Salaries     $11.59            $9.79  $13.76  $7.99             $10.50 

Missions  and  Be- 
nevolences    ....          2.24              3.15  7.05  8.16                 6.27 

Upkeep     and      all 

other  expenses  .          2.16            11.80  8.76  8.10                 7.90 

Total    $15.99          $24.74  $29.57  $24.25             $24.67 

XXII— A 

HOW  A  TYPICAL  DOLLAR  IS  R-\ISED  AND  SPENT  BY  THE 
LOCAL  CHURCHES 

Cou)itry         I'illagc  Town  City              Total 

Thirty-one    Fourteen  Thirteen  Eight         Sixty-six 

By:                                 Churches     Churches  Churches  Churches       Churches 

Subscription  ^  .77            $  .57  $  .74  $  .76               $  .73 

Collections 19                .11  .09  .07                   .10 

All  other  methods        .04                .32  .17  .17                   .17 

Total    $1.00           $1.00  $1.00  $1.00              $1.00 

XXII— B 

Country         J'illage  Tozvn  City              Total 

Thirty-one    Fourteen  Thirteen  Eight         Sixty-six 

For:                               Churches     Churches  Churches  Churches       Churches 

Salary    %  .72            $  .39  $  .46  %  .33               $  .43 

Missions  and  Be- 
nevolences           .14                .13  .24  .34                   .25 

Upkeep     and      all 

other  expenses  .         .14                .48  .30  .33                   .32 

Total    $1.00           $1.00  $1.00  $1.00              $1.00 

On   the  average,   these   churches   devote   one-fourth   of   their   receipts   to 
benevolences. 

139 


THE   CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 


XXIII 

GRADING  FOR  HOME  MISSION  FIELDS— PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH  IN  U.  S.  A. 

A.  Promising  Field : 

1.  Prospect  of  self-support. 

2.  Strategic  service  opportunity. 

B.  Problematic  Field  : 

1.  Uncertain  of  community  development. 

2.  Denominational  responsibility  uncertain. 

C.  Field  to  be  relinquished  : 

1.  Should  be  self-sustaining. 

2.  Work  should  be  discontinued. 

This  would  be  a  good  test  to  apply  to  every  aided  church  on  the  Range. 

XXIV 

NUMBER  OF  CHURCH   SERVICES 

Number   of   Services      Country       J'illage  To-aii  City 

a  Month  Churches    Churches    Churches    Churches        Total 

Eight     3  3*  Uj  7  :S 

Seven   0  0  0  0  0 

Six    0  0  1  0  1 

Five    0  0  0  0  0 

Four     6  6*  0  2  14 

Three   0  0  0  0  0 

Two    9  3  0  0  U 

One 12  0  0  0  12 

No  regular  service    ....  2  2  0  0  4 

Services  in  sum:ner  only  2  0  0  0  2 

Total    34  14  13  9  70 

*  One  church  in  each  of  these  groups  unites  regularly  with  a  church 
holding  eight  services. 

t  One  church  in  this  Troup  also  has  four  week  day  services.  One  church 
has  its  four  services  on  week  day  nights  and  has  no  Sunday  services. 

About  three  hours  a  week  set  aside  for  church  services  and  .Sunday 
school  means  six  days  a  year;  only  twenty-five  out  of  seventy  churches  have 
as  large  a  number. 

XXV 

ATTENDANCE  AT  SERVICES  COMP.ARED  WITH  SE.VTING 
CAPACITY  AND  ACTIVE  MEMBERSHIP 

Beaverhead    Huc/lies        Slierician         Union 

Average   seating  capacity    ....  1^7  277  2Sfi  160 

Average  active  membership   ..  -"^  .'^9  117  24 

Average  attendance  at  services  52  50  SO  67 

An  average  attendance  one-third  less  than  the  seating  capacity  means  many 
empty  seats. 


110 


APPENDIX  II 


oocNjo   I  o^      j:: 


CO 

-2 

^ 

J 

> 

"^ 

«J 

O 

<0 

t, 

■^i; 

O 

OOUT^ 

CO 

-H-l 

X 

2 

o 

u 

^ 

^ 

m 

^ 

"rt 

"1 

^^:?,)2 

y 

G 

Q 

g 

s^ 

Cl 

iK 

OO^-i 

-^ 

^ 

^ 

^ 

h4 

< 

?) 

nl 

^ 

C\r-Tt   O 

T 

■p 

H 

•S. 

s 

S°°?^S 

•od 

rt 

Pi 

c" 

^ 

" 

W 

t/ 

rt 

rr. 

c 

V 

H 

^ 

= 

Or^CN\0 

^^ 

^ 

^ 

o 

■^ 

>• 

"5) 

> 

m 

"g 

CJ 

X 

W 

.2 

2 

o 

y. 

^ 

OOOO 

1  ^ 

5 

i-ri 

s 

^ 

5 

u 

u 

■= 

o  ooro 

p 

c; 

w 

-;: 

S 

ffi 

^ 

H 

z 

1  ^' 

o 

^ 

~- 

^^t^o 

■" 

<M'-i     I   "^  S 


oo-t-\o 

o 

" 

CM 

.2 

OO'MiO 

^ 

5.2 

O.N 

.s           .     •     . 

s  £? 

rt 

O    (« 

lurch 
Coun 
Villa 
Tow 
City 

H 

^'^ 

° 

y. 

H 

'^1 

Q 

=-, 

W 

<;     5 

N 

:^ 

tj.« 

<f 

o 

y. 

^^ 

w 

w 

^ 

w 

w 

> 

^ 

< 

K 

<fi 

u 

■'^l 

c~, 

ffi 

> 

,      <o 

ti,  g 

^t 

(^ 

PS 

w 

tr-LO 

^? 
pW 

w 

W 
> 


•^r.    ~  ,-1   O   O  O  '-'  <U 


^      E 


•^^        .— irO"— lOliO        "O 


c:      ci  -H  (M  o   I  vo       ^ 


^        (M'-'MCM     11^ 


b-.= 


o  s 


rj  (Ni  1-  eg 


12 


(NJ^rOr-H       I    r^ 


"t:      rt  ,-1  ,-i<\j    I  lo 


^,-iOt-i     I    fO 


E 

:  :  :  :  .  ^ 

;   ;  ■  !   !  Co 
c 

-Jj    <L> 

rt  "J^ 

:'.■.!.■  <^o 

'.'■'■■'■  V  ): 

.....  ^  o 

MM:  5S 
u. 

<U   >4-l 

o  '^ 

■■■...•  Cm 

ifi  ^      ■   :—  -^  ° 

w  i  be  J-     -5  (WV 

U  ^ 


141 


THE  CHURCH  OX  THE  CHANGING  FRONTIER 

XXVIII 

RESIDENCE  OF  PASTORS  IN  RELATION  TO  THEIR  CHURCHES 

Country   Village  Town  City  Total 
Churches  with  : 

Pastor  resident  in  parish   8  8  *  10  8  34 

Pastor   resident   in   community   but 

not  in  parish   4  0  0  0  4 

Pastor  resident  in  other  community 

in  same  county   12  2  0  0  14 

Pastor  resident  in  another  county  3  0  10  4 

No  regular  pastor    '.  4  4  2  0  10 

Supply  pastor    3  0  0  1  4 

Total    34  14  13  9  70 

*  One  church  in  this  group  has  two  resident  social  workers. 

About   half    of    the    churches    have    their    ministers    resident    among   the 
members. 


XXIX 

SALARIES  OF  MINISTERS  ACCORDING  TO  PROPORTION  OF 
TIME  DEVOTED  TO  THE  MINISTRY 


Ministers  Giving 

Ministers 

Full 

Time 

to 

zcitli  other 

M. 

inistry 

Occupation 

With  One 

With 

More 

Than 

Church 

One  Church 

'astors   receiving :  * 

Over    $2,000     .... 

6 

3 

$l,501-$2,000     .... 

4 

3 

2 

$1,201-$L500     .... 

5 

3 

0 

$1.001-$1.200     .... 

2 

'     2 

0 

$    751-$1.000     .... 

0 

3 

1 

$   50;-$   750    .... 

1 

0 

0 

$    101-$   500    .... 

0 

0 

2 

$    100  or  less  .... 

0 

0 

1 

No  salary    

0 

0 

2 

Total 

18 

14 

8 

*  Including  $250  rental  value  of  parsonage  if  there  is  one. 

With  the  high  cost  of  living,  it  is  difficult  to  sustain  adequate  family 
life  on  many  of  these  salaries.  It  is  not  strange  that  eight  of  the  ministers 
must  earn  part  of  their  support  at  other  occupations. 


142 


APPENDIX  II 


XXX 


GAIN  AND  LOSS  IN  MEMBERSHIP  AS  RELATED  TO 
RESIDENCE  OF  MINISTERS 

(One  year  period)  ' 

Churches  with :  Country    Village  Town  City  Total 

Resident  minister    8  8  *  10  8  34 

Number  gaining 4  5  7  7  23 

Number  stationary    ....  2  3  2  0  7 

Number  losing    2  0  1  1  4 

Non-resident  minister     ...  19  2  1  0  22 

Number  gaining     5  2  1  0  8 

Number  stationary     ....  17  0  0  0  7 

Number  losing    7  0  0  0  7 

*  One  church  in  this  group  has  two  resident  social  workers. 

About  two-thirds  of  the  churches  with  resident  ministers  made  a  gain  in 
membership;  of  the  churches  with  non-resident  ministers  only  about  one- 
third  show  a  gain.  Fourteen  churches  were  either  pastorless  or  were  served 
by  a  supply.     Six  of  them  made  a  gain  during  the  year  preceding  the  survey. 


143 


UNIQUE  STUDIES  OF  RURAL  AMERICA 
TOWN  AND  COUNTRY  SERIES         TWELVE  VOLUMES 

MADE     UNDER    THE     DIRECTION    OP 

Edmund  deS.  Brunner,  Ph.D. 

What  the  Protestant  Churches  Are  Doing  and  Can  Do 
for  Rural  America — The  Results  of  Twenty- 
six  Intensive  County  Surveys 

Description  Publication  Date 

(i)     Church    and     Community     Survey    of 

Salem    County,    N.   J Ready 

(2)  Church     and     Community     Survey    of 

Pend    Oreille    County,    Washington         Ready 

(3)  Church     and    Community     Survey    of 

Sedgwick  County,  Kansas    Ready 

(4)  Religion  in  the  Old  and  New  South..         Forthcoming 

(5)  The   New   and   Old   Immigrant   on   the 

Land,    as    seen    in    two    Wisconsin 

Counties    Ready 

(6)  Rural     Church     Life    in     the     Middle 

West    Ready 

(7)  The     Country      Church     in      Colonial 

Counties    Ready 

(8)  Irrigation  and  Religion,  a  study  of  two 

prosperous  California  Counties   ....  Ready 

(9)  The  Church  on  the  Changing  Frontier         Ready 

(10)  The  Rural  Church   Before  and   After 

the    War,    Comparative    Studies    of 

Two    Surveys    Forthcoming 

(11)  The     Country     Church     in     Industrial 

Zones     Ready 

(12)  The  Town  and  Country  Church  in  the 

United    States    Forthcoming 

"They  arc  fiyic  f'lrccs  of  work  and  exam  firs  of  what  zve  need  to 
have  done  on  a  large  scale" — Dr.  Charles  A.  Ellwood,  Dept.  of 
Sociology,  University  of  Missouri. 

"I  am  heartily  appreciative  of  these  splendid  results." — Rev, 
Charles  S.  Macfarland,  Gcnl.  Secy.,  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches 
of  Christ  in  America. 

Published  by  GEORGE  H.  DOR.\N  COAIPANY,  New  York 

FOR 

COMMITTEE  ON  SOCIAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  SURVEYS 

111      FIFTH     AVENUE,     NEW    YORK 


^,y"«tpn  Theolo. 


'll/l(Ilifi^?^;?.^7  Libra 


1  .1012  011^^7™' 


Date  Due 

-- 

m9^ 

zoob 

vw  *•  ^ 

f) 

|i|^^^^^^  M 


:  |||j|iPii!!i!lli!iil 
illlill 

iilii  P 
III 

,."f 

iiijili 


^lilillii 


ill* 

jl, 


I 


I  liilll 


